


heliophile

by smileysgoboing



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Female Hinata Shouyou, Gen, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, One Shot Collection, Pre-Relationship, Protective Karasuno Volleyball Club, Reverse Harem
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 35,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23659390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smileysgoboing/pseuds/smileysgoboing
Summary: heliophile(noun)he·lio·phile | \ ˈhēlēəˌfīl \someone who loves the sunIt’s not against the rules to have a girl playing in the team, it’s just…unusual. Almost unheard of. It's why so many people assume she joined the team because she has a crush on one of the boys, or that one of them must like her. But they’re all here for volleyball, not a love story.At least, that’s what Hinata thinks. And maybe it’s true, in another story. But not this one.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru, Hinata Shouyou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 675
Kudos: 1990





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was heavily inspired by sakurachi28's "A little bit of sunshine" where I fell in love with the idea of fem!Hinata and everyone falling in love with her because tbh I'm a sucker for a reverse harem ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ except in this case, everyone is only three people - pairings are as tagged. Please note that these oneshots will vary in length and probably won't follow canon chronology.

It’s not against the rules to have a girl playing in the team, it’s just…unusual. Almost unheard of. It garners her plenty of stares in all their practice matches and competitions, but it is _very_ satisfying when the confusion in their eyes turns into amazement when they see her quick attack with Kageyama. Almost as satisfying as the feeling of smacking the ball down in said quick attack.

Still, it is annoying when _everyone_ stares at her, just because she’s the sole female player on Karasuno’s volleyball team. And maybe the Miyagi prefecture. But she’s used to it by now, barely batting an eye whenever one of their opponents does a double take or someone drops a snide comment. If they get distracted during a game – well, it’s their fault for underestimating her.

Even more annoying can be the questions. Her friends and classmates know better by now but everyone always wants to know – what is like to be the only girl?

 _Smelly_ is Hinata’s first answer. Training with a bunch of teenage boys for hours on end isn’t all fun and games, and deodorant does wear off after a while. She still can’t decide whether she prefers it when it’s worn off or when they reapply, because the smell of boy’s deodorant is _very_ strong. Not to mention the bruises and the sprains and the general soreness and exhaustion that comes with such intensive training – volleyball is not a sport to be taken lightly. But Hinata loves it, and she loves her team, and she wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

Some people assume she must be the baby of the team – a mascot or some kind of diversity trophy, like they needed to check a box to progress through the competitions. Fortunately, this is the easiest assumption to correct – by smacking the ball down into the court. Or into their faces, if Daichi would let her. No, Hinata earned her spot on the team, just as the other first-years did.

Some people assume she must be a tomboy, someone who hates girly things and shuns their femininity. Well, Hinata has plenty of female friends in class, with whom she shares a fondness for cute things. And she likes wearing skirts and dresses, just not as much as she loves her volleyball uniform.

Some people assume she joined the team because she has a crush on one of the boys, or that one of them must like her. This is the most ridiculous assumption of all, in Hinata’s opinion. Her one true love is volleyball. Yes, she might have a mild obsession with Kageyama but it’s not to date him – she wants to _beat_ him. It’s settled down since they became teammates, to the point when she rather enjoys working together with him to shock everyone with their quick attack. And the rest of the team are just that – teammates. Older brothers, they sometimes feel like, but all very strictly platonic. There’s just no room in her heart for anything – or anyone – other than volleyball.

As for the reverse – the second and third years dote on her like a little sister outside of matches, and the first years are her friends – even Tsukishima, she can admit grudgingly – because they’re just like her, too busy thinking about volleyball for anything else. Her grades can attest to that, so romance is definitely low on the list of priorities. That’s why they’re on the team – they’re here for volleyball, not a love story.

At least, that’s what Hinata thinks. And maybe it’s true, in another story. But not this one. 


	2. cold (Tsukishima)

Hinata hadn’t even realised she’d left her blazer at home until after school. It had been a warm day, and volleyball training had kept her fired up. But training, as usual, had run late into the night where the temperature had cooled down considerably. She’d kept her shivers under control as they’d left by staying close to the other boys, who had plenty of body heat to share, but as the wind began to blow, it became harder and harder to hide it.

As one particularly cold gust of wind blew towards them, Hinata ducked behind the closest person she could find to block the wind. It wasn’t very effective, but it was better than nothing – at least, until the person shook her off. “Hey!”

“What are you doing?” Tsukishima demanded.

“It’s cold,” Hinata snapped back.

“What, you’re using me as your shield?” He snorted. “Where’s your jacket?”

“I-I left it at home,” she gritted out as another blast of wind hit. She shivered violently, frantically rubbing her exposed arms to get some warmth.

Tsukki stared at her, his expression unreadable. “Idiot,” he said finally, but the sting of the insult was lost when he shrugged off his jacket and settled it around her shoulders. The effect was immediate. She stopped shivering and with an audible sigh, relaxed into the soft material, which was still warm from his residual body heat. As large as it was, it was still falling off her shoulders so Hinata slipped her arms into the sleeves for maximum warmth and found that they ended well below her fingertips. When she reached down to zip it up, the hem brushed her thighs, just below the bottom of her shorts.

As she struggled to do the zip up without the sleeves getting in the way, Hinata realised Tsukishima was still staring at her. She blushed, realising that she must look ridiculous with how she was completely swamped in the material. “What?”

“Nothing,” Tsukishima said automatically, before he glanced away. “I just forgot how short you were.”

Hinata bristled. “Shut up,” she muttered half-heartedly, not wanting to insult him too much in case he took his jacket back. It wasn’t her fault he was so stupidly tall, but he’d given it to her and it was keeping her warm, so she was going to keep it. As if to further her claim, she buried her nose into the warm fabric and shot him a glare before turning away.

It smelt like him. It wasn’t a bad thing; in fact, it was almost the opposite. She would hardly call them friends, they were still teammates and he was someone familiar and close to her, so it made sense that the jacket smelled nice to her.

Her face burned as she stopped herself mid-thought, and she had a feeling it wasn’t just because of the jacket. She peeked at Tsukishima over the collar to see if he had noticed her sniffing his clothes, but he was staring straight ahead and must have been feeling the cold, because his face was turning pink in the wind.

“Thanks,” she said finally, dropping her gaze to the ground.

“Tch. Don’t mention it.”


	3. sleep (Kageyama)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all your lovely comments and feedback, I really appreciate all the encouragement!

It was no surprise to anyone when Hinata fell asleep on the bus back from the training camp. The pressure of supplementary exams, the stress of Saeko-nee-san’s driving, plus the gruelling nature of the training camp itself all culminated in Hinata passing out almost as soon as she sat down next to Kageyama on the bus. Kageyama himself settled himself against the bus window, ready to doze off until Hinata, rousing herself slightly to shift in her seat, rested her head against his shoulder with a soft sigh.

Kageyama froze. 

Still deeply asleep, Hinata nestled into him as if seeking his warmth, her legs and side pressing into his. Her head fit snugly into the crook of his neck and she was so close he thought he could feel her breath against the sensitive skin of his neck. Kageyama swallowed, nearly holding his breath as he dared to look down, but it was only her hair, the few strands not tied up in her usual ponytail brushing softly against him

His face was burning but a quick glance around the bus – he and Hinata were sitting at the back – revealed that no one else had noticed it, since they were also all half-asleep. He was almost hyperaware of the weight of her head on his shoulder, the heavy sighs as she exhaled, the pounding of his heart, but made sure to keep his breaths slow and even, not wanting to disturb her even if it felt awkward to keep his shoulder so still. Yet as strange as the situation was, he was almost pleased by the fact that Hinata trusted him and was comfortable being so close to him, even unconsciously.

He could hardly imagine her cuddling up to anyone else, nearly snorting at the idea of her falling asleep on Tsukishima, who would probably shove her away. The rest of the team would be kinder – he wasn’t blind to the way their senpai doted on her when they could – but it put a sour taste in his mouth to picture Hinata falling asleep on Tanaka or Sugawara.

All those scenarios flew out of his head when she stirred slightly, again burrowing into him even though she could hardly get any closer. Kageyama caught a glimpse of the goose bumps on her legs and remembered that he had shrugged off his jacket to use as a pillow, though it was now squashed between his arm and the bus. Taking great care not to jostle Hinata’s head, he managed to extricate it and lay it gently over her lap.

There was no response, of course, but Kageyama thought she seemed a little more relaxed, and exhaled quietly. He was getting used to not moving his shoulders, still taking care to breathe evenly, but it wasn’t as much of a shock as it had been. Hinata just happened to think his shoulder was a good pillow, and hearing her breathe deeply, with just a hint of a snore, was oddly soothing.

So, of course, he fell asleep, with his head resting on top of hers.

* * *

 _Bonus_ :

“Shhh, be quiet, Daichi. We don’t want to wake them.”

“What are you doing, Suga?”

“Just making a little memento.” 

“You mean blackmail?”

“…No…”

* * *

_Extra Bonus:_

Tsukishima, contrary to popular belief, would _not_ have shoved her away.


	4. rescue (Oikawa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a different take on S2 Ep 13

“Come on, just give me your number.” The voice was unfamiliar, but unmistakably male, and Hinata hesitated at his words as she jogged up the stairs. 

The next voice, however, was _very_ familiar. “Sorry, I have people waiting for me,” Shimizu said, polite as ever.

“It’ll only take a second,” the male voice said. Hinata stiffened and crept the rest of the way up before peering around the corner. Shimizu had her back to the wall as she clutched Hinata’s lunchbox and there was not one, but two guys standing in front of her. The one who had been speaking had a cocky grin and short blonde hair that highlighted his earrings, while his friend had a more neutral expression underneath his messy brown hair, but both were crowding her into the wall.

It was the last position any girl wanted to be in. To Hinata’s dismay, she had bolted back into the venue on her own so there was no Tanaka or Nishinoya to scare the boys away. Hinata herself was hardly intimidating, especially considering she was shorter than Shimizu, but she wasn’t going to let them continue to frighten her.

“Excuse me,” Shimizu said, a little more insistently.

“I’ll just get it from your phone real quick,” the first boy interrupted, grinning down at her.

Before she could hesitate, Hinata sprinted over and burst through the small gap between the two boys to stand in front of her manager. Adrenaline rushed through her body, causing her heart to pound and her knees to shake, but she forced them to still as she put an arm around Shimizu. “Sorry, that’s my lunchbox!” she blurted, ushering the other girl through the same gap she’d squeezed through. “Let’s go!”

But she wasn’t fast enough.

“Wait up, we were still talking,” the boy protested, his voice sharp as he grabbed Hinata’s shoulders and jerked her away from Shimizu.

“Hinata!”

“You got a smartphone?” he asked flippantly, putting his back to Hinata. “Or are you still using a flip-phone?”

Her heart was still pounding but this time with rage as she saw Shimizu’s panicked expression. This guy just couldn’t take no for an answer. “Excuse me!” she shouted, and leapt in front of Shimizu again, jumping so high she was face-to-face with him. The shock on his face was gratifying, although his gaze lingered after she had landed. His scrutiny made her burn with shame and anger.

“Hey, you’re not too bad yourself. I’m sure my friend here would like your number,” he commented smoothly, smirking at her as he gave her a slow once-over before focusing on her chest. “Oh, Karasuno? Don’t tell me you’re their manager.”

“No, I’m on the team,” Hinata snapped.

He let out a short bark of laughter, his blatant scepticism making her bristle. “Surely not,” he snorted. “You’re too cute to have beaten that tall guy. But if you’re interested in volleyball, we could definitely teach you a few things.”

Hinata recoiled from his suggestive smirk. While she was glad to have gotten their attention away from Shimizu, it meant that they were now focusing on _her._ She could hardly expect Shimizu to help her out, not when they had both struggled in the first place, but with the team downstairs, there was no one else around to help.

He took a step closer, and she was on the verge of swearing at him when someone spoke from behind her. “My, my,” a familiar voiced drawled. “If it isn’t Karasuno’s Number 10.”

Hinata whirled to see Oikawa Tooru, smiling slowly as he took in the scene before him. It was a friendly, nearly cheerful expression, but she was close enough to see how razor-sharp his smile was, and how it didn’t match the appraising look in his eyes. It was the same one she had seen on court, the one that usually meant his opponents were in danger.

“Huh?” the guy standing next to her grunted, and in the brief moment of confusion, she spied Shimizu sneaking down the stairs to get help and sighed with relief. At least she would be safe, though the same couldn’t be said for Hinata herself. Glancing back at Oikawa, she made the split-second decision to dart behind him, standing close enough to feel his warmth. He was far from her favourite person but at least she knew him and trusted him enough to be the good guy in this situation.

“Hey, who do you think you are?” the first guy demanded, but his friend grabbed his arm quickly.

“That’s Seijoh’s captain,” was the hissed reply. The first guy dropped his smirk, narrowing his gaze at Oikawa.

“Seijoh, huh?” He crossed his arms disdainfully. “Nice to meet you, but we’re busy here,” he said snidely, tilting his head towards Hinata.

“Leave me alone,” she bit out.

Oikawa laughed. “I think that says enough, don’t you?” he said mildly. “I’m sure your coaches at Johzenji would be happy to hear about this. Right, Terushima Yuji?”

There was the slightest pause before Terushima scoffed. “Whatever.”

“Johzenji?” Hinata repeated, peeking out from Oikawa’s arm. She was fairly confident that he had the upper hand now and was emboldened enough by his presence to ask, “One of the teams that got past the preliminary rounds?”

“We didn’t play in the prelims,” he sneered, dropping any pretence of flirting.

Hinata glared back – a small part of her was relieved that he was backing down, but the rest of her was distracted by other things. “Then you must be one of the top eight teams in the Inter-High preliminaries!”

“Try top four,” Terushima said smugly, but his gaze drifted back to Oikawa and he scowled. “But it sounds like we’ll be seeing you around, Karasuno. If we do play each other, let’s have some fun.”

He leered at Hinata and reached out as if to pat her head, but she flinched away. As he and his friend walked past, Oikawa shifted smoothly to face them until they were at the stairs. It was a small gesture, one Hinata might not have noticed if she wasn’t on such high alert, but it meant he had maintained his protective position between her and Terushima as he passed by.

She watched closely as they walked downstairs, and it was only once they were out of eyesight that she sighed with relief. Hinata hadn’t realised how stressed she’d actually been until she was out of danger, and she owed it to Oikawa for helping her out.

Stepping away from him hesitantly, she bowed. “Thank you.”

* * *

“Thank you.”

If Oikawa hadn’t known any better, he would have said that Karasuno’s Number 10 was flirting. The blush on her cheeks and the way she looked up at him through lowered lashes was so shy and sweet and entirely unlike the girl he had played against. But her uncertain demeanour was no doubt because of those idiots and he wanted to put her more at ease, so he smiled cheerily at her.

“No problem, chibi-chan! Are you feeling okay?” he asked, and she nodded slowly. He did believe her, but there was still something a little off, so he decided to resort to his all-time favourite strategy. “Besides, I can’t say no when a cute girl needs my help.”

Her face cycled through a range of expressions – surprise, confusion, disbelief, anger – before she settled for an annoyed scowl. It was almost endearing, to be able to read her thoughts so clearly, but he was pleased that she was starting to look more like herself, even if her angry face wasn’t as effective as she probably would have liked. He’d seen some angry girls before, but Hinata Shouyou was just a little too small and her face a little too cute for it to make it hurt. “Don’t tease me, Great King!”

“Great King?” That was an interesting nickname but he decided to unpack that later. “What, I don’t even get a last name mention?”

Her nose scrunched cutely in confusion, clearly caught off guard by his request, and she stammered, “Oikawa-san? Oikawa-senpai?”

He pouted. “A little cold for someone who just rescued you.”

A little pause, as she visibly processed his words, then–

“Oikawa-kun?”

“Ah, I like the sound of that,” he said, and was surprised that he meant it. Her hesitance had made his name come out softer and shyer than what she’d probably intended but the effect was unmistakably…adorable. That was something he’d never thought he’d say about someone from Karasuno. “Can I call you Hinata-chan?”

“I guess,” she began, but before he could react, the rest of the Karasuno team burst in. Leading the charge was, of course, little Tobio, his expression positively murderous. Well, it was to be expected that her teammates would be so protective of Hinata, especially considering their previous situation.

“Get away from her!” Kageyama snarled as he stepped in front of Hinata.

Oikawa simply smiled as he took a deliberate step back, holding his hands up. “No need to be so rude, Tobio-chan,” he chided. “Hinata-chan and I were just getting to know each other.”

It was almost too easy to read his expression, to see how every word from Oikawa’s mouth wound him up tighter and tighter, until he snarled, “Get away from her!”

To Oikawa’s surprise, Hinata stepped back in front of him, her arms held out protectively. It made for an interesting role reversal. “It’s fine, it’s fine!” she said loudly. “Leave him alone.”

Poor Kageyama looked like he had been slapped as he stared, gobsmacked, at Hinata as she defended Oikawa. “Wait, what–” he spluttered.

“He helped me out!” Hinata explained hastily. “There were two other guys from Johzenji who were bugging Shimizu, and I was trying to defend her, and then Oikawa” —there was the slightest hesitation— “Oikawa-kun stepped in, and then they left.”

“Yes, I was able to leave and get help when Oikawa-san arrived,” the manager confirmed, her calm words cutting through the palpable scepticism radiating from the team. “Are you alright, Hinata?”

“Yeah, I’m fine now,” she repeated, lowering her arms to her sides. Oikawa took that to mean he was out of danger, though he kept his smile up. “Sorry to make you guys worry.”

“Alright, cool it,” Daichi said sharply, and the tension finally began to subside, although Kageyama was still glaring at him. “As long as you’re okay, Hinata.”

“I am. Seriously,” she said firmly. 

There was a long-suffering sigh from Daichi before he turned to Oikawa and bowed. “Thank you for looking after Hinata,” he said shortly, though not insincerely, before he put his hands on his closest teammates. Oikawa nodded back.

“Alright, let’s head back downstairs.” The answering grumbles had varying levels of agreement as Daichi and the manager began to usher the team away.

“Thanks, again. For your help,” Hinata said quietly as she turned towards him. She was oblivious to the way Kageyama was shooting daggers at him, which only made him smile more. 

“Like I said, it was no problem,” Oikawa replied. “I’ll see you later then, Tobio-chan, Hinata-chan.” He punctuated his words with a mischievous smile and was just as pleased to see Kageyama seethe as he was to see a blush spread across Hinata’s face before he left.

* * *

“Hinata-chan?” Sugawara repeated. “Are you sure he wasn’t hitting on you, Hinata?”

“The Great King is a weirdo,” she said resignedly. It would be ridiculous to read into it too much. “He was just teasing.”

“He is strange,” Sugawara agreed, and she was about to follow him down the stairs when Kageyama put his hand on her shoulder. 

“Are you really okay?” he asked gruffly. “Oikawa…”

“Oikawa-kun actually helped me out,” she said reassuringly, not noticing the way he stiffened when she said his name. “I promise I’m fine now. But thanks for worrying about me.” She smiled brightly up at him, gazing directly into his eyes until he looked away. 

“Try not to run off on your own again,” he grumbled, but Hinata though she felt him squeeze her shoulder gently before he dropped his hand back down. “Let’s go.”

* * *

_Bonus:_

Oikawa wasn’t surprised to see Karasuno’s cute Number 10 on the other side of the court, but he was surprised by the smile that crept onto his face when he caught sight of her bright orange hair. “Yoo-hoo, Hinata-chan!” he called loudly, grinning as he waved at her.

Everyone who heard did a double-take, and almost instantly he felt glares coming from the Karasuno team – Kageyama in particular. But it was worth it when Hinata, impervious to the dirty looks her teammates were giving him, waved back at him hesitantly. “Hi, Oikawa-kun.”

Her voice, distinctly softer than his, still carried across the court. His own teammates started shooting him incredulous looks, even as the glares from Karasuno grew sharper. Oikawa simply smiled. It was just too easy to rile them up with a few simple words, and it had the added bonus of being able to speak to Hinata herself.

Iwaizumi snorted. “Is this some new strategy of yours?”

“Of course not,” Oikawa said, his face twisting into an offended pout. “Hinata-chan and I are friends now.”

“Since when?” Before he could even answer, Iwaizumi held his hand up. “You know what, I don’t care. You better not get distracted.”

“Of course not,” Oikawa retorted. As fun as teasing Hinata – and her teammates – was, he knew what his true goal was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you couldn't tell, Oikawa is my favourite LOL  
> friendly disclaimer that I only have a basic understanding of Japanese honorifics and last/first name importance.   
> thank you for all the kudos and lovely comments!


	5. cat (gen)

It was late after practice – as usual – but the team had still decided to grab some snacks from the convenience store. Hinata was discussing their upcoming match with Nishinoya when she suddenly stopped, mid-step and mid-sentence, and whipped her head to the side.

Nishinoya knocked his shoulder into hers before he came to a stop. “Eh? What’s up?” he asked, trying to follow her line of sight. The grass on the side of the road was poorly illuminated, and he could really only make out vague shapes, but Hinata was still peering intently at the shadows.

“Is that a cat?” she said slowly, more to herself than anyone, before walking cautiously to the side of the road. She stopped just at the edge with a loud gasp before announcing excitedly, “Guys, there’s a cat!” Without hesitating, she dropped into a crouch and extended her hand, making soft clicking noises with her tongue.

“I didn’t think she could get any shorter,” Tsukishima snorted. “Or weirder.”

“Oh, a cat? Where?” Nishinoya followed her over and squatted down beside her.

“Over there,” she whispered, pointing seemingly at nothing. The rest of the team squinted as they tried to follow where she was pointing, but there was no luck. She made another round of clicking noises with her tongue, before gasping again. “Hi, kitty~”

Everyone did a double take – had that really been Hinata’s voice? It had been so sweet and soft and _very_ high-pitched. Poor Nishinoya had turned his head towards her so quickly he’d lost his balance and fallen onto his butt.

“I take that back,” Tsukishima said immediately, as he snorted.

“There it is!” Hinata said in her normal voice as a fluffy white cat emerged cautiously from the shadows. “Come here, kitty~”

The change in pitch and the syrupy sweetness dripping from every word caught everyone off guard again. “I hate to say it, but this must be some kind of girl thing,” Tsukishima said flatly.

Everyone else nodded silently. It was one thing to see Hinata so excited that she jumped to ridiculous heights or resorted to sound effects instead of her words when she saw cool volleyball plays or successfully pulled off quick attacks, but it was another thing to see her lose her mind when faced with something she found cute. It was like she had become an entirely different person.

As if to prove their point, Hinata had now progressed to scratching the cat’s chin and was cooing senseless praise to it. “You are the sweetest little cat,” she sang softly. “So friendly and fluffy and soft and so pretty~”

When she turned to grin at them, she looked so pleased by the cat’s attention that there might as well have been stars in her eyes. Kageyama had never seen her so excited by anything other than volleyball until now, and as he watched her play with the cat, he thought she might be _more_ excited. It was almost bizarre that something as simple as a cat could give her so much joy.

“Hi, kitty,” Nishinoya said calmly as he gave the cat a few scratches, before standing up again. “I’m hungry!” 

“Yeah, let’s keep going,” Tanaka agreed, and the rest of the team followed, eager to resume their trip. Kageyama was last to follow, watching as Hinata, still stroking the cat, hesitated.

“Are you coming?” he called. “I thought you wanted meat buns.”

Her face lit up again and with one final pat, she stood up and hurried after them. “I do! Wait up!”

Kageyama snorted as she caught up with him. She was still the same Hinata – the temptation of food was too great, even over her newly-revealed love of cats.


	6. tape (Kageyama)

To Hinata’s relief, it had only been a minor ankle sprain. Despite the initial shock and the sensation of _stretching_ nearly to the point of pain, she had been able to walk immediately after. The pain, if it had ever been there in the first place, had faded quickly, leaving only an odd uncertainty, as if she couldn’t rely on her own feet to hold her up again. But she could, and it was just learning to trust her body again, letting the ligaments recover from the sprain and strengthening the muscles so it didn’t happen again.

She had taken a few days off practice to let her body recover – a minor sprain was still a sprain, and her ankle needed to heal. For the most part, she felt fine but it was the small things, things she had done so easily and thoughtlessly before, that reminded her that she wasn’t. Tiptoeing to reach things in the cabinets above her head, or balancing on one foot as she leant over and reached for something, or even adding a little burst of speed as she walked across the road – she suddenly needed to _think_ about them.

Fortunately, Coach Ukai and some of the third years were experienced with these sorts of minor injuries and had been able to give her some tips to help her recover. Hinata did her exercises diligently, practicing things like rising onto her toes and balancing on one foot and stretching her calves, but she knew it would take some time before it fully healed.

Which was why, despite the burst of relief returning to volleyball practice gave her, she hesitated at the door. What if she rolled her ankle again? What if she hurt herself more?

“Oi, are you going in?”

Hinata jumped at the sound of Kageyama’s voice. “Of course I am,” she snapped automatically, and stepped inside the gym. It was like coming home – familiar and comforting and reassuring, but also exciting in the way that only volleyball could be.

She could feel his gaze as he followed her through, but it wasn’t until they had put their bags down and dug out their towels and knee pads that he spoke. “How’s your ankle?”

“Alright,” she said, shrugging. “Still feels a little...weird.”

“Yeah, that can happen,” Kageyama agreed. He glanced over when she began to put on her shoes. “Have you taped your ankle?”

“Um…” Hinata looked down at her shoes, which were already laced up halfway. “No...?”

“Dumbass,” he muttered. “Do you have any tape?”

He was already rummaging through his own bag as she shook her head before pulling out a small roll of tape. “Come here.” He shot her an unimpressed look as she scooted closer. “Take off your sock and shoe.”

Hinata obeyed, briefly enjoying the fresh air against her toes, before the awkwardness set it and she held up her bare foot. The temptation to wave it in Kageyama’s face as he knelt beside her was only just outweighed by the fact that he had volunteered to tape her ankle, so she settled for holding her leg up, hands clasped around the back of her thigh for support.

“Keep your foot like this,” he ordered, pressing it back towards her leg until her ankle was at a right-angle. His hand was warm against the sensitive skin of the sole of her foot, and Hinata fought down the instinctive shiver at his touch. She was only a little ticklish – just a little, she insisted to her friends – but having her feet exposed apparently made her feel more vulnerable, because the action felt odd, almost intimate to her.

It was soon forgotten as Kageyama began to rip the tape with well-practiced movements. He laid the first piece of tape around her calf gently, pressing lightly to make sure it laid flat against her skin. The next few strips came down the side of her ankle to form a loop under the arch of her foot, each time followed by a few squeezes of his hands to ensure there were no creases or bumps in the tape. “Does that feel okay? Not too tight?” he asked.

Hinata shook her head. It didn’t feel tight, per say – the tape wasn’t digging in but she could feel it tug at her skin with every little movement. That was the point, she supposed. But her leg was starting to waver as she held it up unsupported, and Kageyama could tell, because he sighed reluctantly and said, “Put your foot down.”

She did a double take, but he was serious. Slowly, she lowered her leg to rest her calf on his thigh, leaving her foot still hanging in the air as he began to wind the tape around her ankle in a more complicated pattern. There was a curious contrast between the force he used to rip the tape into pieces and the delicate precision with which he lay it onto her skin – it was clear he had done this many times before. Each piece of tape lay flat against her skin, despite all its curves and bumps, and his hands were firm but gentle against her ankle. 

The last strip went around her calf, echoing the placement of the first one. “This will lock it in place,” he explained, pressing his hands around it firmly. “How does it feel?”

Hinata could barely feel the tape when she held her foot still, but as soon as she tried to point or flex her foot, its purpose became clear. The movements were only moderately restricted, but the loss of range, especially when she tried to roll her ankle in and out, was actually reassuring. She could feel the tape pulling at her skin every time she so much as tensed a muscle, making her hyperaware of what was happening at her ankle. “Yeah, it feels pretty good,” she concluded. 

She jumped when Kageyama touched her foot but he was only holding it still so he could inspect his work. Even to her untrained eye she could tell he had done a good job, so she wasn’t surprised when he nodded approvingly and set her foot down. “Put your shoe back on, see how it feels,” he ordered.

After scrambling to put her sock and shoe on, Hinata stood carefully. Even in standing, she knew where the tape was, though it didn’t hinder her when she walked or jogged on the spot. She made a face when she tried jumping – that was when she was most aware of the tape, not quite able to hit that full range of motion, which limited how much power she could put into it. But when she landed, there was no fear of her ankle wobbling. “Ohh, this feels much better,” she declared, grinning appreciatively at him.

“It’ll warm up after a bit,” Kageyama said, watching her carefully. “But try and take it easy today.”

“Yeahhh,” Hinata agreed half-heartedly, bouncing on her toes again to test it out.

“Oi, I’m serious.” It wasn’t just his words, but his tone that made her stop and look over. He was giving her that familiar glare, but there was something _more_ this time, his blue eyes dark as he said, “Don’t get hurt again.”

And because it was Kageyama, and it made her uncomfortable and _anxious_ to even imagine what would happen if their positions had been switched, Hinata nodded. “I won’t,” she said firmly.

As she met his gaze, she wondered briefly if that flash of anxiety she’d felt earlier was what he was feeling now. But the moment passed, and she softened her expression into a mischievous grin. “Especially if you keep taping my ankle for me.”

He spluttered. “Learn to do it yourself, dumbass!”

And during practice when she noticed his eyes on her – well, she could hardly blame him when she was watching him just as closely. 


	7. jacket (Oikawa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am absolutely blown away by all your kudos and comments - thank you so much, I really really really appreciate them all!

In a spectacular fit of clumsiness, Hinata had somehow managed to spill water all over herself. To be fair, some of the blame lay with Nishinoya and Tanaka, who had apologised profusely after they had stopped laughing, but it had simply been a freak accident that resulted in her top half completely soaked. Her poor white shirt had taken the brunt of it, which also meant her sports bra had absorbed some water – on top of the sweat from their match – so everything was now uncomfortably moist _and_ see-through.

At least their match was over, Hinata thought sourly, as she snatched her bag up, waving off her teammates offers of help. Yachi and Shimizu were off running an errand, though Takeda-sensei said he’d try to contact them; everyone else on the team wasn’t going to be able to help. As she hurried to the bathroom, she grabbed her towel to soak up excess water in an effort to stop the chill from setting in. It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling to have her wet clothes rubbing against her now damp skin, and it pissed her off that she didn’t even have a change of clothes. The only other top she had was her volleyball jersey, which was already damp with sweat and _not_ something she wanted to put on again.

Inside the bathroom, Hinata stripped off her jacket and wrung out as much water as she could into the sink. Her towel, sadly not very absorbent, had outlived its usefulness, so she hung them both up. She squeezed the water from the bottom of her shirt as best as she could, making a face as only a few drops came out. In a desperate move, Hinata tried to hold her shirt out beneath the hand dryer. It was helpful in blasting warm air on her skin, relieving that awful damp feeling, but wasn’t very effective in actually drying her clothes, though it did help lose some of its translucency – enough that she could walk around without fear of everyone seeing exactly what bra she has chosen to wear today. Hopefully one of her teammates had a spare (and clean) top or towel that she could borrow while her own clothes dried.

Hinata cursed as she rummaged inside her bag. Her phone must still be with the team, which meant she would have to walk all the way back. Groaning, she collected her clothes and slammed the door open. She had only taken a few steps before she bumped into someone coming out of the male bathrooms.

Just her luck. “Sorry!” she blurted immediately, ducking her head into an apologetic bow.

“Oh, Hinata-chan?” Oikawa Tooru smiled down at her. “How are you?”

“Ah, alright,” she said hesitantly, bad mood catching up with her once the shock of running into the Great King had subsided. “Just looking for my teammates. I had a bit of an... accident.” She gestured towards the large wet patch on her shirt with a face.

“You must be cold,” Oikawa remarked, peering down at her with concern. “Here, you can borrow my jacket!”

Before she could respond, he was digging his jacket out of his bag and pressing it into her hands. She took it, still on autopilot, and it was only the feeling of warm, dry clothing in her hands that she recovered her senses. “Wait, I can’t take this!”

“You can borrow it until your clothes dry,” he insisted smoothly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be lending her clothes. “Besides, I told you – I can’t say no when cute girls need my help.”

Hinata made a face at his words but eventually nodded, fingers curling into his jacket. Well, at least now she didn’t have to go all the way back to her teammates to dry off. “I don’t want it to get wet,” she said hesitantly, knowing that her shirt was soaked enough that anything dry would start to absorb the water, before another idea struck her. “Oh, wait! I’ll be right back!”

She ducked back into the bathroom and stripped off her shirt, taking the opportunity to grab some paper towels to dry off her dampened skin, before she shrugged on Oikawa’s jacket. As expected, it was too big for her – the sleeves fell past her fingertips, the hem exposed only an inch of her shorts and even zipped up, the jacket gaped at her waist, causing the soft, dry fabric to brush against her bare stomach. It was a strange sensation, but Hinata shrugged it off – it wasn’t something she couldn’t get used to. Besides, her shirt would probably dry a lot faster if she wasn’t wearing it.

Just before she left, Hinata caught sight of her reflection. She almost didn’t recognise herself in Seijoh’s colours, with the blue and white contrasting sharply with her own bright hair and black shorts. It was such an unfamiliar sight that she felt almost uneasy, but she figured staying dry and warm was a higher priority.

“I’m back!” Hinata announced, half-expecting him to have left already.

Oikawa simply shot her a quizzical look. “Why did you leave–” he began, before catching sight of the white shirt in her hands. For the first time, she saw his smile drop, replaced by a look of complete shock as a flush spread across his cheeks. “H-Hinata-chan?”

She tilted her head inquisitively at him before it clicked. “I’m still wearing something underneath,” she said hastily, blushing hotly. When he didn’t reply, she added, “I was just going to wear it until my shirt dries…unless you want it back?”

He blinked at her, expression unreadable for a moment save for the pink on his cheeks, but smiled quickly. “Don’t worry about it, Hinata-chan! You can keep my jacket,” he said brightly, before he gave her a mischievous look. “Besides, it looks good on you. You should have come to Seijoh and become my cute little kohai!”

Hinata spluttered for a good moment before she managed an indignant, “No! Karasuno is best, because that’s where the Little Giant played, and we’re going to beat you!” She tried to march past him but faltered when he put his hand on her shoulder. Heat radiated through the jacket from his palm straight to her skin.

“We’ll see about that,” he retorted cheerfully, clearly having not taken her challenge seriously. “Here, you can have my number, Hinata-chan. Text me when you want to return the jacket.” 

“I don’t have my phone here,” she said apologetically. “I can give you mine, and you can just text me, okay?”

“Okay,” Oikawa agreed, and with well-practiced speed, entered her number into his phone. “Do you mind if I save it under Shou-chan? I think we’re close enough now, don’t you?” He pressed save before she could even respond, and had the gall to wink at her, tongue sticking out.

Hinata glared, but there was no real heat behind it. Oikawa was a well-known flirt, as demonstrated by his fan club, and she didn’t want to speculate too much about the way he was treating her. He’d proven himself to a be a decent person – at least off the court.

“You can call me Tooru-kun if you want!”

The offer of familiarity caught her off guard, the scowl on her face fading into a puzzled frown. Still smiling at her, Oikawa said, “Come on, I don’t lend my clothes to just anyone. We’re friends now, right?”

Well, his reasoning wasn’t quite right, but it wasn’t wrong either. Hinata figured she would give herself a headache if she thought too hard about it, so she sighed. “Okay. Thanks for lending me your jacket…Tooru-kun.”

She hadn’t known it was possible, but the smile on his face grew even bigger, reaching his eyes. Ah, so this was one of Oikawa’s real smiles. Hinata didn’t know when she had learnt to distinguish between his expressions, but it would probably be a useful skill for the future. “I have to get back to my teammates,” she said finally. “But I’ll text you!”

“See you later then, Shou-chan!” Oikawa said, still smiling warmly at her. If anything, he looked even more pleased now that he had used her first name. It was a little strange, having someone other than her junior high friends call her that, but it wasn’t unwelcome. It would be strange to hear it from her teammates now but it sounded so natural coming from Oikawa that she didn’t really mind.

The combination of orange hair and a blue and white jacket caught her some strange glances but she didn’t think anyone realised the significance until she returned to her team. “Sorry, I’m back now!” Hinata called as she saw her team. “Ran into someone at the bathroom.”

Sugawara was the first to turn at the sound of her voice. “Ah, welcome back,” he began, before his jaw dropped. “Hinata?!”

At his incredulous tone, the rest of the team turned to see Hinata and had the same reaction. Even Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei seemed caught off guard, which she supposed was fair enough.

“Why are you wearing that?” Kageyama demanded, lunging to his feet to grab a fistful of the jacket.

“Hey!” Hinata protested, jerking away from him. “Someone lent it to me, so don’t too rough.”

“Someone from Seijoh lent it to you?” Daichi asked, puzzled. “You could have borrowed one of ours.”

“Ah, I was planning to,” Hinata said, laughing nervously. The rest of her words came out in a rush. “But I ran into Oikawa before I came back.” 

Unfortunately, everyone heard. “ _Oikawa_?” several voices demanded.

She didn’t think it was possible for Kageyama to look any more pissed, but his expression clouded over further at the mention of his senpai. “That’s it, take it off,” he said sternly, starting to pull down the jacket zip. “You can wear one of our jackets, not _his_.”

“Stop it!” Hinata frantically batted his hands away. “I’m not wearing anything else!” To prove her point, she waved her wet shirt in front of his face, forcing him to recoil.

There was silence.

Hinata immediately realised what she had said. “I’m wearing a bra underneath!” she cried, blushing furiously. “But my shirt was too wet so I figured it would dry faster if I took it off!”

In the time it had taken for her to finish speaking, Kageyama had somehow managed to put six feet between them, his hands pressed tightly to his sides as he stared wide-eyed at her. As the rest of the team gaped at her, visibly trying to process everything, Sugawara turned to Daichi with a menacingly cheerful smile. “Are you busy tonight? I think we have a grave to dig.”

* * *

**[Unknown]:** _Yoo-hoo, it’s Tooru-kun_ **~**

**[Shou-chan]:** _Hi! I can return your jacket now. Where are you?_

**[Tooru-kun]:** _I’m at the front entrance with my team_ ^_^

**[Shou-chan]:** _We’re heading there now. See you there!_

For once, it wasn’t the eye-catching orange hair that typically signalled Hinata’s appearance. Instead, Oikawa felt piercing stares from what must have been the other Karasuno players before he turned to see Hinata approaching. Even though he was expecting it, he was slightly disappointed to see she was back to wearing her own uniform, with his jacket folded carefully in her arms. “Tooru-kun!”

His own team gave him incredulous looks, but he brushed them off easily as he jogged forwards to close the gap between them. “Shou-chan!” he beamed, enjoying both her flustered expression and the glares from Karasuno.

“Thanks again for lending me your jacket,” she said quickly, thrusting the jacket towards him.

“You’re welcome,” Oikawa said cheerfully, and meant it, as he took the jacket. “I’ll see you around, Shou-chan.”

“Yeah, see you later, Tooru-kun,” Hinata agreed, flashing him a smile before jogging back to her team. 

An answering smile tugged at his lips as he waved at Hinata until she was lost between her team members. On a whim, Oikawa brought the jacket to his face. There was just the slightest hint – the barest of echoes – of a floral scent, like a girl’s perfume or deodorant, as he inhaled.

“Oi, pervert,” Iwaizumi said flatly. “I thought you said you gave your jacket to a cute girl.”

“But I did!” Oikawa tilted his head innocently. “Don’t you think Shouyou is cute?”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “She’s not bad,” he agreed. “I don’t think she appreciates your flirting, though.”

“I know.” Oikawa sighed dramatically. “Any other girl would have jumped at the chance to wear my jacket!”

“You offered it to the only girl who wouldn’t,” Iwaizumi snorted. “Of all the girls to flirt with…”

“I definitely picked the cutest one,” Oikawa said firmly, grinning mischievously.

“No, you picked the one who’s as obsessed with volleyball as you are,” was his best friend’s reply.

Well, he wasn’t wrong. But didn’t that make Hinata Shouyou a good choice?


	8. wall (Tsukishima)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you thank you thank you for all the kudos and comments ❤❤❤

“Oi, Tsukki! What are you doing out of class?” Hinata demanded, readjusting her grip on the sheets of paper stacked precariously in her arms.

“Running an errand for the teacher,” he drawled, raising an eyebrow at her accusatory tone. “I could ask the same of you.”

“Doing the same, obviously,” she retorted. “Are you heading to the office?”

“Yeah.”

“Then wait up,” Hinata said, speeding up her pace until they were walking side by side. He shot her a disgruntled look but she figured if he really didn’t want to walk with her, he wouldn’t have waited, so she simply grinned back. He huffed and rolled his eyes as he kept walking. 

“Hey, Tsukki–” she began, only to be cut off when a nearby classroom door opened and a gaggle of boys burst out, laughing and shouting enthusiastically. She sidestepped them instinctively but lost her balance when one of the boys, knocked off course by another, barrelled towards her. She braced herself for impact, but instead found her back knocking against the wall, papers clutched against her chest.

She winced automatically, more from the shock of the impact than any pain and saw Tsukishima standing in front of her, one hand braced on the wall just above her head. He had taken the brunt of the impact for her, she realised belatedly, and had somehow managed to push her away at the same time so that she could catch herself against the wall, instead of crashing into the floor.

“Sorry!” one of the boys cried from behind Tsukishima.

“Watch where you’re going,” he growled, turning his head to glare at the culprit before he turned back to Hinata, straightening as he did.

She could only stare up at him, suddenly aware of how _tall_ he was as he loomed over her easily. It was one thing to know that Tsukishima was the tallest member of their volleyball team, and another thing to feel it when he was standing right in front of her, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body, close enough that she had to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

He was oddly silent. Hinata had expected a disgruntled “Tch” or a quip aimed at her clumsiness, but he only looked at her, peering at her with a slight frown and a look in his eyes that she would have said was concern – if it was anyone other than Tsukishima. It was slightly unnerving, to be able to read his expression – to be so close that she could see what emotions were in his eyes. She couldn’t bear to break his gaze, staring up at him as he swallowed. They were so close that she could see every movement of his throat, the way his Adam’s apple bobbed.

And she couldn’t be sure, but it felt like he was moving closer. Hinata lowered her arms instinctively but as she did, her fingers relaxed, loosening their hold and paper spilled from her hands to the ground in a loud rustle.

It was as if a spell had been broken. Hinata dropped her gaze and bent down, collecting them into haphazard pile. There was no way to tell how much time had passed while she had gaped like a fish at Tsukishima, but it felt like too long and her teacher wouldn’t be happy if she took too long. When she reached for the next sheet of paper, her hand brushed something warm. She flinched instinctively, turning to see Tsukishima on his knees to help gather her mess.

“Thanks,” was all she could say when he handed what he had collected, their fingers brushing.

“You’re so clumsy,” he scoffed, but there was no real heat behind his words. “Idiot.”

“Shut up,” Hinata growled back, snatching her papers back as she stood and strode off. Of course, he caught up to her easily, smirking down at her. She didn’t notice that he’d chosen to walk on her right, closer to the classrooms.

“What a great comeback.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She rolled her eyes, smirking right back at him because despite all his grumpiness, he was still walking beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA accidental kabedon


	9. cry (Kageyama)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you everyone so much! it really makes my day to read all your comments, they are seriously so encouraging and it makes me so happy to hear you guys are loving this ❤

“Dumbass.”

It was the last insult after Kageyama’s miniature tirade, and a familiar one; it was used so often that line between insult and nickname was blurring, and it rarely held any sting. But his reproach, on top of an exhausting day, hit Hinata the wrong way. She knew she wasn’t in the best place physically or emotionally at this time of month, and she was aware of that, enough so that could recognise that most of his criticism had been genuine feedback. It was just that anything negative could and would set her off.

“Fine, fine,” she agreed, but the words came out more biting than she intended. She rubbed her face in a last-ditch effort to get her emotions under control and managed to mutter a quick apology, before taking a deep breath in and out.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

And again. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

In, out.

In, out.

The air was coming out in loud pants as she forcibly exhaled, but despite her efforts, her breathing grew quicker and shakier as tears stung at her eyes. Hinata rubbed her eyes fiercely and took her position again, still struggling to regulate her breathing, but the tears kept coming. She wiped them away again, and again, but it was starting to blur her vision so badly that she couldn’t even move from her spot.

“Hinata?”

She was still blowing loud breaths out, but they were hitching so badly as she cried that she almost didn’t recognise Sugawara’s hesitant voice. Cursing herself, she used her sleeve to dry her face as best as she could, but her throat felt swollen and tight. She was afraid that if she tried to speak, she would burst into tears.

“Time out!” Daichi called, before his voice softened. “Grab a drink, everyone.”

Hinata sniffed but instead of heading to her water bottle, she walked to the nearest wall and faced it resolutely. It was mortifying to cry in front of other people, especially when she knew there was no real reason for her to be upset.

Deep breath in and out, she told herself. In and out.

“Are you alright?” Sugawara’s voice was gentle and soothing – almost like he was approaching a wild animal, she thought wildly, and had to choke down a laugh. 

“I-I’m okay,” she managed eventually, sniffling loudly. “It’s not Kageyama’s fault.”

Sugawara snorted. “Maa, I think there was some correlation,” he said dryly, “but we just wanted to make sure you were okay. It’s a little unusual for you to be so upset, so is there anything we can help with?”

To her relief, the calm conversation – plus the embarrassment of losing control of the whole team – was helping her to relax, enough to turn to face him. “It was just a…a busy day,” she admitted. “And, um, mostly PMS. It just makes me a little more sensitive.”

“Ah,” he said, not able to keep the surprise out of his voice. “Um, okay.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “The offer still stands, though – if there’s anything that we can help with, please let us know.”

“Thank you,” Hinata said quietly with one last sniff. “I’m sorry for interrupting practice. I’ll just go wash my face, and I’ll be right back.”

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “There’s no need to rush,” he said with a reassuring smile. “The team will live without you for a few moments, so take your time. If there’s anything you need, you can always ask me or Daichi or Shimizu, if you’re more comfortable with her.

She nodded and managed a small smile in return before walking quickly to the bathrooms. While she was there, Shimizu came by with a quiet offer of painkillers and sanitary products and sweets, and the heartfelt agreement that having periods was tough – it wasn’t fair that they had to suffer before, during _and_ after the actual event. It was enough to make Hinata smile again, and after having washed her face and blown her nose noisily, it felt nearly natural. It was nice to know that her senpai were so caring.

The rest of practice went smoothly, although Hinata could tell the team was being extra nice to her. Kageyama had apologised profusely once she had come out of the bathrooms, and despite her sincere reassurances, still looked slightly stricken. Tsukishima had restricted himself to one little quip about her playing and had been promptly glared at by the rest of the team. It was sweet, if a little amusing, but she would take it – she was hardly in danger of having another little breakdown, but she wasn’t fully recovered either.

After packing up after practice, Kageyama had offered to buy her meat buns as an apology. She couldn’t tell if it had been his idea or one of their senpai had suggested it, but she agreed anyway – Hinata never refused free food – even if he remained awkwardly quiet during their walk to the convenience store. When they were just outside, Hinata pulled him aside so they could talk.

“Hey.”

He was clearly startled by her sudden closeness, eyes darting around nervously before he ducked into a bow. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I know, and it’s okay,” Hinata said simply. “It really wasn’t your fault.” She paused, deliberating for a moment, before averting her gaze, her face burning with embarrassment as she continued. “It’s because I was PMSing. What you said to me was pretty reasonable, since I wasn’t playing very well. But I wasn’t having a very good day and it just happened to set me off.” She glanced up at him to gauge his reaction – he didn’t look disgusted or afraid, just shocked – so she finished quickly with, “You weren’t mean or being rude or anything, I swear. And I’m okay now.”

“…Okay,” he said finally.

Hinata took the chance to study him more carefully. Any traces of his initial panic were long gone, and despite the way he couldn’t quite meet her eyes, he had accepted her explanation calmly. His trademark scowl was back in place, though she suspected it was more due to embarrassment than anything.

Before she could signal the end of the conversation – and get her meat buns – Kageyama spoke again. “Do… Do you want a hug?”

“Huh?” 

Even in the dim lighting, she could see his face was now as red as hers. “Sometimes my sister gets upset, and she likes it when I hug her.”

“Oh,” Hinata said, completely bewildered by the offer. “Okay?”

Without another word, Kageyama wrapped his arms around her. She managed to turn her head in time before the side of her face pressed into his chest. She thought she could smell him, beneath the faint odour of sweat – a clean, maybe slightly musky scent that was almost as familiar as her own. The warmth of his body was comforting and despite the slight awkwardness of her own arms being pinned by her sides, she sighed quietly and relaxed into him. He tightened his hold around her before shifting slightly to pat her head, the motion gentle but firm, and oddly soothing.

And then it was over, his arms dropping back down to his sides. Hinata lifted her head from his chest and felt the loss of his warmth instantly. She hid her disappointment by looking down, tucking some hair behind her ear.

“Did that help?” Kageyama asked curiously.

It took her a moment to get her expression under control before she was able to meet his gaze. “Yes,” she admitted. “Thanks.”

“Okay. That’s good,” he said matter-of-factly, before he scratched his head and looked away. “Do you still want meat buns?”

Hinata grinned. “Of course.”

* * *

_Bonus:_

Kageyama could only stare helplessly as Hinata, tears streaming down her face, went to stand at the wall. His heart sank in his chest as he watched her shoulders shake silently. 

“Nice going, Your Majesty,” Tsukishima sneered, but there was a hint of real anger in his voice. Kageyama couldn’t blame him, or the rest of the team, as they kept shooting him looks.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Sugawara went to talk to her, trying to disguise his concern by taking small sips from his bottle until Daichi approached him. “Is everything okay, Kageyama?”

“Yeah,” he answered, still replaying what he had said to Hinata and coming up at a loss. It had been no harsher or crueller than their unusual insults and banter, so he couldn’t figure out why she had been so upset. But she _was_ upset, and it was Kageyama’s fault. 

“Don’t be too hard on yourself.” Daichi’s words jerked him back to reality, and he stared blankly at the captain. “Look, I’ve heard you say worse things to each other before,” he said quietly. “It’s not really your fault that Hinata reacted that way, but it doesn’t hurt to be more considerate of what you’re saying sometimes. I know you’re working on it, so keep it up.”

He could only nod. If anything, Daichi’s encouraging words made him feel slightly worse. He noticed Hinata jogging in the direction of the bathrooms and Sugawara walking towards him. “Kageyama-kun!” He was smiling, but Kageyama knew better than to think that meant he was out of danger.

“Um…”

“She’s okay,” Sugawara said kindly, as if he could read his mind. “She said it wasn’t your fault.”

“Oh,” he mumbled, not wanting to meet his senpai’s eyes. He couldn’t quite agree with her. 

“It may not have been your fault entirely,” Sugawara said mildly, “but you still upset her.” There was something slightly ominous about the way he said it, but after studying Kageyama for another moment, his smile softened into something more genuine, as if satisfied with what he saw in Kageyama’s expression. He wasn’t even sure what his face showing – probably some level of guilt and dismay, a good amount of self-loathing, if it reflected what he was feeling inside at all. Sugawara interrupted his introspection by ruffling his hair. “Hinata has things on her side too you should talk to her afterwards.”

“I-I was planning to,” he mumbled.

“Good,” Sugawara said approvingly. “Just don’t ever let it happen again, okay?”

Kageyama nodded quickly – not just to appease his senpai, but because he never wanted to see Hinata cry again, or worse, be the reason behind her tears. Sugawara’s words had helped to quell the sinking feeling in his chest a little, but he immediately resolved to buy her meat buns after practice. There was no way that could go wrong.

* * *

It didn’t go wrong. It was very much the opposite.


	10. balance (Tsukishima)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feeling blessed because of all your wonderful comments and kudos! thank you so much ❤

It was inevitable that the team was separated in the crowded subway, but luckily for Hinata, one of her teammates stood out above the rest. Literally – Tsukishima’s blond head was a good foot above everyone else, acting like a beacon as she squeezed her way through the crowd to stand next to him. “Tsukki!” she hissed quietly.

It took him a good moment to find her until he looked down and scowled. “Oh, it’s you. Didn’t see you down there,” he added snidely, adjusting his glasses with his free hand. The other was wrapped around the metal pole, holding him secure as the carriage swayed.

“Shut up.” She scowled. “Do you remember which stop we’re getting off?”

“You don’t?” Tsukishima snorted.

If it weren’t for the fact that Hinata, in fact, did not remember, she would have stormed off – as best as one could when surrounded by people. As it was, she sulked next to Tsukishima, too annoyed to think of a proper retort, when the doors opened again and _more_ people entered the carriage, and despite her shuffling and sidestepping, she ended up pressed against him.

The look of confusion and distaste on Tsukishima’s face was almost comical, but then the subway lurched and Hinata toppled into him. She caught herself almost immediately, though not before faceplanting into his solid chest. “Sorry!” she squeaked, straightening quickly.

Tsukishima helped her stand with a hand to her shoulder, sighing exaggeratedly. As he opened his mouth – undoubtedly to say something disparaging – the subway jolted again, and this time Hinata nearly went sprawling into him. He caught her instinctively, arm wrapping around her back in a solid brace as he pulled them both upright.

“Can’t you hold onto anything?” he asked exasperatedly, even as he kept his arm around her. Hinata glared, looking pointedly at the crowded carriage and then at the bar he was hanging to, which was well beyond her reach.

There was a ripple of movement behind her as people shifted and shuffled to let someone through, pressing her against Tsukishima again. “Sorry,” she grumbled, voice muffled against him.

He sighed again. Then he readjusted his grip around her and shifted his stance ever-so-slightly, giving her a little more breathing room even as he held her closer to his side, effectively shielding her from the other passengers with his arm and keeping her upright. “You can hang on to me,” Tsukishima muttered, pointedly staring out the window. Hinata pretended she couldn’t see the blush in his reflection, because she was sure her own face was just as red as she cautiously reached up to tangle her fingers into the soft material of his shirt.

She felt him tense when she accidentally brushed his stomach through the fabric, quickly adjusting her grip so she wasn’t touching him, but she could still warmth radiating from his skin – not just at her hands, but from his arm around her waist. Hinata fought down a shiver. It wasn’t just that she was ticklish, though she could ignore it if she concentrated hard enough – it was the intimacy of the gesture, the ease with which his hand spanned the space above her hips, the heat of his skin burning straight through the thin fabric of her own shirt to match how warm her face was. She didn’t know how much longer she could stay like this before she spontaneously combusted. But as the subway lurched and came to a stop, and people shuffled in and out, Tsukishima didn’t budge and neither did she, safe within the circle of his arm. 

It was the kind of protectiveness that she would have expected more from the third years. Hinata was sure that any of them would do the same, but it was somehow different with Tsukishima. Both their faces were bright red at this point, but he refused to meet her gaze, no matter how many times she snuck a glance at him. And she couldn’t think of anything to say, because she was trying not think about the gentle pressure of his hand, not quite enough to make her squirm or laugh, but enough that she was acutely aware of _everything_ – not just the weight of his arm, reassuringly firm around her and the security it brought, but also the way her nose was practically pressed into his torso and from that, the scent of his deodorant or laundry powder, clean and refreshing and as comforting as his presence in a carriage full of strangers. 

“This is our stop,” Tsukishima said, as the subway began to slow. He shifted his weight as it lurched to a stop before stepping forwards, tightening his hold around her as he half-pulled her along. Hinata nearly lost her grip on him as they squeezed through the crowd, but found purchase in his jacket, clinging tightly to him as he helped clear a path for her.

And then they were stepping onto the platform, and Hinata would have lost her balance, overwhelmed by the fact that she had space to _breathe_ , had it not been for his arm around her, guiding her forwards until they were free from the lines of people trying to board the subway.

She sucked in a breath, feeling her heart rate start to settle. “Thanks,” she said finally, glancing up at him with a relieved smile. Tsukishima’s expression was unreadable as he stared back at her. Hinata realised she was nearly craning her neck to look at him, because they were still standing so close together – his arm still wrapped tightly around her, her hands still clutching his jacket.

“Ah, good! You guys made it!” Daichi called, his voice echoing from somewhere behind Tsukishima.

They both nearly jumped. Tsukishima dropped his arm and straightened smoothly, and she hastily relaxed her grip, sticking her hands into her pockets as if to search for her phone. He turned away from her to greet the others. “Yeah, this idiot forgot where we were getting off,” he drawled.

Despite the smirk he shot at her, Hinata could still see how red the tips of his ears were but to her relief, no one seemed to have noticed how closely they were standing since she had been hidden behind Tsukishima. Daichi began ushering the team towards the exit. There were still plenty of people shuffling in and out of the station, and Hinata found herself at the back of the line that they had formed to squeeze through the crowds, with only Tsukishima behind her. She was determined not to get left behind again, following the person in front of her closely but then a businessman was ducking in front of her and she had to skid to a halt to avoid bumping into him.

Her sudden stop caught Tsukishima by surprise and he knocked into her, making her stumble. His hand shot out to grab her shoulder, though he let go quickly when she managed to regain her balance. Hinata felt the loss of his warmth almost instantly, turning to look at him instinctively as she recalled how his arm felt around her. He blinked at her inquiringly and Hinata blushed, realising she didn’t have an answer to his implied question, and ducked her head.

The brief touch of his hand on her shoulder again made her jump. “Sorry. We’ll get left behind again,” he said warningly. “Especially you, since you can’t see above the crowd.”

Hinata spluttered indignantly, and it took a gentle nudge for her to start walking again. But this time his hand lingered between her shoulders, just as warm and reassuring as she remembered. She snuck one more glance behind her and was still faintly bemused to see how he stood out above the crowd – she would never get lost again with him around.


	11. sparkle (Oikawa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, a big thank you to everyone who has left kudos, commented, subscribed or bookmarked! I really appreciate the support and it makes me so happy to know that you are enjoying this!

There was just something about her hair – always so bright, so _vibrant_ – that never failed to catch his eye, dragging his attention to her like a magnet. Oikawa caught the ball his nephew had just tossed to him, his head turning to watch the small figure jogging around the edge of the park.

“Shou-chan!” he called, absently spinning the ball in his hands. He could feel Takeru’s confused look but ignored it as the figure slowed and came to a stop, ponytail whipping as she turned towards him.

“Tooru-kun?”

“Ah, sorry, I’ll be right back,” Oikawa said apologetically to Takeru, before he made his way over to her. “What are you doing here?”

Hinata was still panting slightly from her run as she replied. “We didn’t have practice today,” she explained. “What about you?”

“Hanging out with my nephew,” he answered cheerfully, tilting his head back to where Takeru was waiting impatiently. The volleyball spun once, twice, in his hands, and he didn’t even bother hiding a smile when he saw her gaze focus on the ball, then slide to the volleyball net behind him where they had been playing. “Do you want to join?”

The offer slipped out easily, the idea of playing volleyball with her just so natural to him that it took him a moment to realise what he’d said. He felt a little guilty, since this was the time that he spent bonding with Takeru and he wasn’t sure how his nephew would react. But he reasoned that they both loved volleyball, and besides, any kid could be won over by her crazy jumps.

Hinata hesitated slightly – they were from rival schools, after all – but he could see how badly she wanted to play. And after studying her carefully for a moment, he knew that she’d accept – the longing look in her eyes gave it away. She wouldn’t pass on an opportunity like this, not when every minute with the ball was another minute to practice and learn and improve. After all, how could Oikawa not recognise that desire, that drive to always be better, when he had it too?

“Come on,” he said finally, reaching out to take her hand. He made sure to keep his grip light, on the off chance that he had misread her, but she followed eagerly, keeping pace with him until they stood in front of Takeru. His nephew looked dubious until he introduced Hinata as another volleyball player – a good one, too – and not a fangirl or his girlfriend, which seemed to mollify him. It had the added bonus of making her blush, though he wasn’t sure if it was from the compliment or the assumption that she was romantically interested in him.

As they began to toss the ball around, Oikawa watched her. He had a basic understanding of how she played, though what he recalled from his analysis tended to be more along the lines of how to break her. As he suspected, she still struggled with receives, especially anything that wasn’t a straightforward toss, but there was certainly potential – she had excellent reflexes and the ability to react to them. He began to call out tips and encouraging words just as he did with Takeru, keeping an eye on her all the while.

Hinata took it all on board without a single complaint, her face determined as she fought to control the ball. His respect for her rose several notches. She was definitely athletically gifted, but like him, she was no genius – she didn’t have that inborn talent or skill like Kageyama, but she worked hard, and it showed. From being a complete unknown in middle school, she was now someone well on her way to becoming the next Little Giant, and it wasn’t just because of her freak attack with Kageyama. No, there was more to Hinata Shouyou than that, despite what other schools thought.

But that didn’t mean he should ignore it completely. “Hey, Shou-chan, can we try that quick attack of yours?” Oikawa suggested. “Call it a point of pride, hmm?” He flashed a winning smile at her, knowing that there would be a volleyball aimed at his head if Iwaizumi was here. But he wasn’t, and no one else was going to tell him to stop comparing himself to Kageyama. Besides, he was curious; it was an impressive attack, and one that certainly relied on both of the first-year’s specific talents – was it possible to replicate?

Hinata’s hesitation was answer enough. Even the Karasuno third-year setter hadn’t managed to pull it off, not to the same devastating effect. Maybe only Kageyama could, with his stupidly perfect tosses. But he wouldn’t know unless he tried, even if the answer was just another blow to his pride, another reiteration of the fact that no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t compare to a genius.

All this flashed through his mind in the time that it took Hinata to smile at him. “Okay!” she agreed, oblivious to his turmoil.

He observed how she approached the spike carefully. It was one thing to take note of an opponent’s speed and jumping power, as Oikawa had done in their games together, but it was another thing entirely to see Hinata _jump_. She really was quick, darting from one side of the court to the other before she was flying, her body miles above the ground and her arms poised to smash the ball down.

“I don’t hold back,” she said simply, not even out of breath after she’d landed.

And as always, Oikawa’s mind was working full speed as he committed her path to memory, breaking down every step she had taken, every inch between the ground and her feet, every shift of the muscles in her arms as she swung. He nodded. “Let’s do this.”

As he’d expected, it was hard. Not only had they never played together before, but he had to calculate exactly when and where she would hit her peak. With every failed toss and every failed swing, the familiar combination of respect and frustration rose in his chest. There was no way he couldn’t acknowledge Kageyama’s talent – to have the skill and precision to toss the ball with such accuracy to Hinata, with her incredible speed and power and commitment to go full out every time; to have it all match up _perfectly_ was as impressive as it was ridiculous. The fact that it wasn’t a fluke almost made him laugh, if it weren’t for that part of him that knew he would never measure up, even with all the practice in the world.

But Oikawa was used to those doubts, and the rest of him was still analysing. With every attempt, he learnt a little more about where she would be, how high she would jump, how fast he needed to toss the ball, where she could apply maximum force. And he put all those pieces together like a puzzle, and he heard her start to connect with the ball. Her hand smacked more solidly into the ball each time, and the thud of the ball smashing into the ground grew heavier as her swings gained more and more power. _One more time_ , he told himself, and then–

It was a perfect toss for Hinata: quick, just to the point above the net but not too high – and then she was there, at the peak of her jump as she spiked the ball into the ground, too fast for anyone to have even thought about receiving. It wasn’t quite the same as the freak attack, but it was probably as close as they were going to get. Oikawa had to shake his head in disbelief at the thought that she and Kageyama had pulled it off in their first week training together, and multiple times at that. He wasn’t even sure he and Iwaizumi could manage it, even after all their years of playing on the same team – but that was geniuses for you, he thought sourly. Even years of practice and experience couldn’t match up to that level of prodigious talent.

He turned to Hinata, a rueful smile and an apology ready on his lips, and froze. She was grinning up at him, face flushed with exertion and hair plastered to her skin with sweat, and her eyes were practically sparkling with excitement as she looked at him. It was the sweet smile of success, one he had worn so many times before, and yet, in that moment, her triumph felt almost foreign. He had been so ready to call that attempt a failure, and in one sense, it had been. But Oikawa knew now that he might not ever truly replicate the freak attack, but that didn’t detract from what he had done – what _they_ had just done, together. It was still good; no, it was better than good, it had been–

“That was amazing!” Hinata cried, echoing his thoughts as she raised her arms for a high five. She would have known best what was and wasn’t the freak attack, but she was still celebrating with him, and so was Takeru, shouting his praise. It had been a damn good spike, one that would have blown past any blocker. “Tooru-kun, you’re a really good setter!”

He’d heard the compliment many times before, but it was different coming from Hinata. Unlike him, she was an open book so there was no mistaking her sincerity, and when combined with the full force of her attention, with her admiring gaze and earnest praise and sheer enthusiasm – well, it was no wonder that Oikawa was struck speechless. He could feel his cheeks warm, his lips curling up into an answering smile, but before he could find his voice, Hinata spoke again.

“Again?” she asked, and that one word was enough to make him forget his doubts, how many failed attempts it had taken them to get to this point. What mattered was that they were progressing, that they were going to keep trying.

“Let’s do it,” he finally managed. Her excitement was nearly palpable as she returned to her starting position but it faded to a controlled hum as she focused her gaze on the ball in his hands. Oikawa felt his heart pound in his chest, and he knew it had nothing to do with the lingering adrenaline in his veins from the exertion of tossing, and everything to do with the way she had smiled up at him, as warm and comforting and brilliant as the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is probably my favourite chapter that I've written, not only because Oikawa is lowkey my favourite but also because he now has ~feelings~


	12. study (Tsukishima)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, a huge thank you to anyone who has read, commented, left kudos or bookmarked! It really makes me so happy to know that you're all enjoying this as much as I am, and everyone's comments have been so supportive and encouraging ❤

Studying sessions with the first years soon became the norm after it became clear that Hinata and Kageyama needed the extra help. The numbers varied – Kageyama and Hinata made up the core; Yachi came just as frequently, Yamaguchi often dropped in and Tsukishima could be persuaded to attend more often than not, though their productivity varied at those sessions – it was often a balancing act between his tutoring and his inability to stop teasing the duo.

Today, however, it was only Tsukishima and Hinata.

He still wasn’t sure how it had happened. He’d known long ago that Yamaguchi couldn’t come today, and Yachi had informed the group last night that her mother had made a last-minute decision to spend the weekend with her. And Kageyama had just messaged to say he was running late and wasn’t sure he could make it. In typical Kageyama fashion, he offered no explanation or apology. 

By the time he had read Kageyama’s message, and realised only Hinata was coming, she was knocking on his door. “Morning,” she grumbled, with none of her usual energy or enthusiasm. Tsukishima had always pegged her for a morning person, considering her usual excitement at practice, but he now knew that came from her love of volleyball – studying, unfortunately, had the opposite effect.

“Morning,” he answered, watching silently as she stepped through the door and discarded her shoes. She yawned as she slipped on a pair of house slippers, heading to the room where they usually studied without any preamble. Tsukishima followed her wordlessly, somewhat bemused by the fact that even half-asleep, Hinata knew her way around the place. She was just at ease in his house as she was in the gym, showing none of the usual polite nervousness that came from visiting someone else’s home.

He supposed there was some kind of metaphor there – something about the way Hinata had become a part of his life, had made herself at home with such ease that she now belonged there, almost to the point where he couldn’t imagine life without her – but he didn’t want to think too much about that. “Did you want a drink?” he asked, pausing by the kitchen.

“Could I have some water, please?” she called, setting her bag down by the table.

“Are you sure you don’t want some milk instead? It might help you grow a little taller,” he quipped.

“Oi!”

He heard her protest from the kitchen, followed by a muttered grumble, although he didn’t catch the exact word – probably an insult, knowing Hinata, and judging from her sour tone. “I heard that,” he said anyway as he walked over, nudging a book aside so he could set the glass of water on the table. She had already spread out her study materials across the entire surface – which was reasonable, considering it would only be the two of them today, but Tsukishima couldn’t resist another jab. “Do you always have to make such a mess?”

“Only for you,” she snapped, her glare acidic.

“Next time leave some space for me,” he remarked, deliberately shoving aside some of her belongings as he sat down on the side of the table next to her. There was no room for him to sit right beside her, and it would be difficult for him to tutor if he sat on the opposite side – at least, that was what Tsukishima told himself as he organised his own books.

“Who says there’s going to be a next time,” Hinata grumbled as she moved her books to the side for him.

He simply looked at her. “You, if you want to pass this quiz,” he pointed out smugly, and ignored her sullen expression. He knew it was mostly due to her dislike of studying, although there was certainly a part that was sulking in response to his jabs. “Alright, let’s get started.”

They worked their way through the week’s content meticulously, with varied use of flashcards, quizzes, and silent memorisation as per the study routine Tsukishima had forced on them all. Interspersed throughout, of course, were snide jabs and light-hearted insults – it was simply part of their friendship. There was hardly any bite to their retorts, despite Tsukishima fighting to keep his patience at times, and he had found that spite could be a good motivator for Hinata, although it was used more effectively with Kageyama present. 

It wasn’t until his phone buzzed an hour later that he realised how close they were sitting. Like an alarm waking him from the dreary haze of studying, the world came into clarity between one blink and the next, with the sudden realisation that Hinata’s face was _very_ close to his. Somehow, as they had studied and talked and argued, his chair had inched closer to hers until they were nearly sitting side-by-side. Only the corner of the table separated them, but even that was made moot by the way Tsukishima was leaning across the table. He’d only done so because he’d needed to write something out for her, or so he told himself.

He was so close that he could see the small furrow between her brows, the way she mouthed the words to herself as she read – all signs of how hard she was trying to work through the material. She was so focused that she hadn’t bothered to move the stray curls that had escaped her ponytail and fallen into her face, only clearing her line of sight with an impatient flick of her head.

While Hinata’s look of total concentration wasn’t new to him, it was still strange to see it used for academic purposes instead of volleyball plays, though he supposed that her dedication to studying stemmed from her love of volleyball. After all, if she couldn’t keep her grades up then she wouldn’t be allowed to play. It still bemused Tsukishima to realise that volleyball was such a powerful motivator for her – mostly because he couldn’t understand her passion for it. He definitely enjoyed it, and could admit he was in the process of discovering his own love for it, but that could never compare to the way Hinata lived and breathed volleyball.

She let out a little sigh and his gaze was drawn to the loose strands of hair framing her face as Hinata shook her head, trying to toss them aside in vain. Tsukishima watched them fall back into place again, saw her eyes dart impatiently to them, and without even thinking, he reached up and tucked the strands behind her ears. His knuckles brushed against her hair gently, the curls soft and feather-light against his skin.

Hinata started, her eyes wide with confusion as she turned towards him, and instead of lowering to his side, his hand skimmed across her cheek with the motion. It was the barest of touches, tracing along her jawline, but it was enough to feel the softness of her skin, to feel the warmth of it before he dropped his hand. He didn’t dare to move or speak as he held her gaze, only watching as red bloomed across her face from where he had touched.

The doorbell rang.

She looked away hastily, the trance broken, and Tsukishima stood, suddenly finding that he couldn’t look at her. “It’s probably Kageyama,” he said, not surprised – but still cursing the fact – that his voice was rough.

He willed his cheeks to stop burning as he went to answer the door, and with every step away from Hinata it felt like he could breathe a little more. The sight of the other boy seemed to break whatever remaining hold she had on him, enough so that he could manage a sly, “Oh, the King finally graces us with his presence?”

“Sorry I’m late,” Kageyama muttered, stepping past him to enter the house. By the time they reached the table, Hinata was back to studying, the blush faded from her cheeks as she greeted them. Tsukishima glanced at her as he took his seat, the tiny movement of her hair swinging as she scribbled furiously catching his eye. She began to reach up absentmindedly, no doubt to smooth it away, before she stopped and turned to meet his eyes shyly.

“Did I miss anything?” Kageyama asked as he pulled out his books.

Hinata looked away hastily, turning her attention to Kageyama as she began to go through the topics they had covered, but Tsukishima could only watch, mesmerised, as she tucked her hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering across her jaw as she traced the same path he had, only minutes earlier. He felt his cheeks warm at his own memory of his fingers against her skin, and ducked his head to hide his blush. For once, he didn’t mind that Kageyama was paying such close attention to Hinata, since it felt like his face was burning with embarrassment – it couldn’t have been redder than if someone had hit him with a volleyball.


	13. hands (Kageyama)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eternally grateful for my readers and their wonderful commments! getting those notifications always makes my day and everyone has been so encouraging. shoutout to everyone who was converted to shipping Tsukishima and Hinata with the last chapter ;)

Hinata was a physical person. Actions spoke louder to her than words, especially since she sometimes had difficulty expressing herself with words – hence the sound effects. She was used to throwing her arm across people’s shoulders, casual brushes of hands, linking arms with her friends, _hugs_ – and her volleyball team was no different. They never minded it; in fact, they gave just as good as they got, judging by the way Tanaka chased her around the court or the way Nishinoya gave her high fives or how Kageyama always ruffled her hair.

Kageyama was probably her closest friend, in both senses of the word. Despite their rocky start, he was now someone she trusted implicitly, both on and off the court, and he understood and shared her love for volleyball. Despite being in separate classes, they spent nearly all their time together – and when they were together, they were close. Her thigh pressed against his when they sat side-by-side to eat or study; they wrestled playfully during practice; their shoulders bumped as they walked home together. It was no different to how she would interact with any of her other friends, but Kageyama probably received more of her physical affection than all of them combined, simply because she was almost always with him. 

So it was only natural to Hinata to reach out to him in a crowd. With so many people around them, shifting and jostling and pressing in on her, she didn’t want to get left behind – and risk being found being found by other teams – so she held onto the back of his jacket as they wove through the crowd, the fabric pinched between her fingers to form a tenuous link between them. But she ended following him so closely that her face hit his back squarely when he came to a stop.

“What are you doing?”

Hinata bristled automatically at his tone, but she dropped her arm to her side almost guiltily. “I don’t want to get lost,” she muttered, eyeing the crowd nervously before she spotted the rest of the team walking ahead. “We’re going to get left behind!”

“We’ll be fine,” Kageyama said firmly. “Stop walking so close to me or you’ll hurt yourself.”

He walked off, the crowd parting before him easily. It was easy enough for him to say, not with his height and the way people fled at the sight of his scowl. “Hey, wait up!”

But in those precious few moments, it seemed like the crowd has swallowed him up. Hinata fought her way through all the people, squeezing and ducking and shuffling until she spotted the familiar black jacket. Putting on a burst of speed, she wriggled her way between two boys standing and chatting and ran straight into Kageyama’s back again.

Her hands flew to her face, but the sting of the impact was already fading. “Sorry,” she mumbled, voice muffled by her hands.

“Dumbass,” Kageyama sighed, before he reached for her. His hand closed gently around her wrist before he turned away, using their linked arms to lead her through the crowd.

Hinata made a face – she felt like a child, being pulled along by their parent – and wriggled her hand impatiently around until his grip loosened. But he didn’t let go entirely, instead sliding his fingers between hers until they were intertwined. Startled, she glanced at him but Kageyama was staring ahead resolutely, blatantly refusing to meet her gaze despite the blush on his cheeks. She pulled her hand free for an instant, not noticing the way he faltered mid-step, only to slip her hand back into his, having readjusted the angle of their wrists so his forearm was on top of hers. He turned instinctively to look at her, blush deepening and mirroring the same heat in Hinata’s face but she managed a smile and squeezed his hand reassuringly. After a beat, he squeezed back and took the hint to begin walking again.

Hinata found herself walking side-by-side with him, their linked hands obscured by their bodies. It was so different to the way she had stumbled blindly behind Kageyama, clinging desperately to his jacket as she ducked around people who had swerved to avoid him. Now everyone gave them both a wide berth, with Hinata now included in the protective space that Kageyama’s scowl induced – it was a nice change, considering how she was usually on the receiving end of his glare. And while she did appreciate the breathing space in the packed hallways, they seemed to be laid out in a maze, judging by all the turns they took. Hinata was completely lost, but Kageyama seemed to have some idea of where to go, his grip on her hand as solid as an anchor through the tumultuous crowds. His fingers pressed meaningfully into the back of her hand when they needed to make a turn, like a secret signal to guide her through the venue. It was just like him to take the lead, though in this case she had to concede to his superior height and knowledge of where he was going. But in truth, she didn’t really mind. As a setter, he was the one who controlled the team’s plays, the one who led them to victory. She trusted him on the court to make the right decision, and she was trusting him now to get them where they needed to be. Kageyama was just dependable like that; despite all their squabbles and arguments, Hinata knew she could always rely on him. 

She figured that was why holding hands with Kageyama felt nice. It felt so natural, the way her hand fit perfectly in his, his fingers and palms dwarfing hers ever so slightly. The pressure of his grip was just right – not too tight, not too loose, and she hid a smile at the thought of Kageyama calculating the perfect hand hold as he did with his tosses – and it was reassuring too, the way his fingers laced tightly around hers, as familiar to her as the way he ruffled her hair during practice.

Even the sweatiness of her palms, the heat in her cheeks, the pounding of her heart in her chest were familiar. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, like she was about to sprint across the court to spike the ball. But the cause of that adrenaline – well, that was a little less familiar. It wasn’t so much that holding hands with Kageyama made her nervous, it was the implications of doing so. Contrary to popular belief, Hinata wasn’t completely oblivious. She knew what it would look like to all the players and managers and coaches who caught a glimpse of them, and surely Kageyama, with all his blunt, social awkwardness, would realise that.

It wasn’t until he turned to look at her that Hinata realised she had been staring at him, so deep in her thoughts she was nearly frowning. Her brow relaxed as their eyes met – the first time they had done so since holding hands – and she saw the way Kageyama’s eyes widened before he glanced away hastily, trying to hide his flustered expression. Hinata felt strangely reassured by the sight. His discomfort was a sign that she wasn’t the only one having sort through all these new and confusing thoughts – she hadn’t realised that even a simple act like holding hands could be so nerve wracking.

As if sensing her thoughts, Kageyama squeezed her hand, firm and reassuring. She responded in kind, flashing a tiny grin up at him. And even though he still couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze for more than a second, she saw his expression soften, felt his body relax and his hand tighten around hers. For all that Hinata was a physical person, she forgot that Kageyama was one too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regardless of where you live, please support Black Lives Matter! Racism is everywhere, so please take the time to reflect on what that means for you and how you can change in light of that, whether that be educating yourselves, donating or signing petitions, just to name a few options - there are numerous resources available on the Internet on how best to do those things. We cannot let these atrocities continue.   
> With that being said, I understand that these are stressful and difficult times and I hope that this story can bring you a little joy.


	14. shopping (Oikawa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black lives still matter.

### Oikawa – shopping

Oikawa was considering buying a snack, his gaze skimming idly over the menu of one of the many food outlets and then the crowds, until bright orange hair caught his attention. It was almost like he had been searching for it, with the way his head snapped instantly towards it. Curiosity piqued – there weren’t many people in Miyagi who had such unique colouring – he made his way to its source. “Shou-chan?”

As he approached, it became clear almost immediately that the person he had spotted wasn’t Hinata – she was about ten years too young – but the similarity between them was so striking that he did a double take. They had the same orange curls, the same large eyes, the same features – though where Hinata usually wore a sunny smile, this miniature version of her was on the verge of tears. But relation to Hinata or no, he wasn’t about to leave a crying child alone.

“Are you alright?” Oikawa asked gently, dropping to his knee so he could meet her eyes. She only sniffled and stared at him uncertainly with watery eyes. He supposed that was fair – he was a complete stranger and she was almost certainly lost inside a big, crowded shopping centre. “My name is Oikawa Tooru,” he continued, offering her a reassuring smile. “Do you know Hinata Shouyou?”

“She’s my sister!” the girl exclaimed, nodding frantically. “But I don’t know where she is.”

“I’m friends with her,” Oikawa said, smiling fondly. The resemblance between Hinata and her little sister were even more apparent now that she had perked up. “I can call her and we can find her together. Does that sound okay?” She agreed readily enough, which brought Oikawa to his next dilemma. “What’s your name?”

“Hinata Natsu,” she announced.

“That’s a lovely name,” he said sincerely. “Can I call you Natsu-chan?”

As she nodded, Oikawa pulled but his phone and quickly dialled Hinata’s number. They had messaged each other only a handful of times since they had exchanged numbers so he wasn’t too sure about whether she would answer.

The phone rang once, twice. “Hello? Tooru-kun?” Her confusion was evident, though Oikawa thought he could hear a trace of panic in her voice.

“Hi, Shou-chan,” he said cheerily. “I think I found your little sister.”

He took the phone from his ear and put it on speaker. “Nee-chan!” Natsu called.

“Natsu!” Hinata gasped. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“She’s okay, we’re just down near the food court,” Oikawa answered quickly. “On the second level, just opposite the supermarket.”

“Okay, I’ll be right down!” Hinata promised before the line went dead. He could imagine her sprinting down the escalators, dodging the crowds as easily as she shook off blockers so he didn’t think it would take her long to arrive. Instead, he focused on reassuring Natsu, trying his best to coax a smile out of her. She was still a little shy – understandably so – but seemed content to listen to him talk about how he knew her sister.

The brightness of Hinata’s hair caught his eye once more, giving him just enough time to stand before she was barrelling towards them, scooping her sister up with a loud cry. “Natsu! Are you okay?”

“Nee-chan!” Natsu threw her arms around Hinata’s neck, cuddling up to her for a few moments before Hinata set her down. “I’m okay.”

“Good to hear,” Hinata said firmly, crouching down so she could poke Natsu’s nose. Despite her teasing, Oikawa could see how pale she was, how anxious her smile really was, so it took him by surprise when she launched herself at him. “Thank you, Tooru-kun!”

He froze as she wrapped her arms around him, head tucking neatly under his chin. It wasn’t just the sudden motion, though he had let out a small gasp as she knocked some of the air from his lungs – it was the fact that Hinata Shouyou was hugging him. Her body was warm against his chest as she squeezed her wiry arms around him, and he could feel the brush of her hair against his neck and chin. Slowly, hesitantly, he brought his arms up around her, marvelling at how his hands nearly managed to span her entire back. 

His heart was pounding in his chest so strongly he wondered if she could feel it, and had to fight down a chuckle at this new uncertainty. He was Oikawa Tooru – beloved volleyball captain, renowned flirt; he had a fanclub, with whom he interacted with regularly and had never had any issues with talking to girls or being close to them before – but here he was, blushing over a simple hug like a middle schooler.

“No worries, Shou-chan,” he managed, dropping his arms reluctantly to his sides when he felt her hold on him relax. “You know I can’t say no to helping cute girls, especially one as adorable as Natsu-chan! It must run in the family,” he teased, smiling crookedly down at her.

Hinata rolled her eyes, but her expression was relaxed into a faint grin – a far cry from how panicked she was before. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a sucker for damsels in distress,” she snorted, seemingly forgetting that she had been one previously. “And Natsu, don’t run off like that! We’re supposed to stick together.”

Natsu pouted, and Oikawa was suddenly very grateful that her sister had never used that expression on him. It was _beyond_ cute. “But you were taking forever in that shop,” she whined. “It was so boring, and I was hungry.”

“Alright, let’s have a lunch break,” Hinata agreed. “I’m starving as well.” She glanced at Oikawa. “Did you want to come?”

He blinked, startled by her invitation, but she misread his expression and backtracked quickly. “Unless you’re here with someone else! But I wanted to buy you lunch, as a thank you.”

“No, no, it’s just me today!” Oikawa said hastily, trying not to sound too thrilled by her offer. “If you insist, Shou-chan!”

Hinata gave him a strange look. “I do,” she said dryly, before pointing at a nearby café. “How does that look, Natsu?”

They settled into the café, with the two sisters sitting opposite Oikawa. It gave him the perfect opportunity to study her, since it was the first time he’d seen her out of a volleyball uniform – including his, he remembered smugly. Her hair was still tied into its usual high ponytail, though it was looser than usual, judging by the curls that framed her face. He’d always wondered how they didn’t bother when she played, watching curiously as a strand fell into her eyes. He fought the urge to tuck it behind her ear, but she didn’t even seem to notice, swiping it away impatiently.

The rest of her outfit was casual enough – a simple tank top and shorts with sneakers that showed off her lean arms and legs, but nothing more than her uniform would reveal. It wasn’t her physical appearance that was different – Hinata seemed more relaxed, more carefree and her eyes, usually focused intently on whatever drew her attention, curved into half-moons as she smiled. No doubt her demeanour was due to the fact that she was on a simple shopping trip with a sister she clearly adored, and not at a high-pressure volleyball competition. 

The food arrived quickly, and Oikawa insisted on taking photos to post to his social media – it did look amazing – and took the chance to snap a few photos of the two sisters. Natsu, clearly beginning to warm to him, agreed immediately but it had taken a few pouts (both his and Natsu’s) before Hinata conceded, though not without an eyeroll. When Natsu begged to take a photo with him, she didn’t even protest, simply holding her hand out for his phone. Natsu tried to copy his trademark wink, sticking her tongue out cutely at his urging. Then they both pulled silly faces at the camera, and Hinata burst out laughing because “I can’t even tell that you’re a third year, Tooru-kun, you look so similar!”

“Your turn, your turn!” Natsu tugged at her sister’s hand so she and Oikawa could sit on the same side of the table. “Gimme the phone!”

“Be careful, Natsu,” Hinata warned, absently shifting closer to Oikawa until her side was pressed against his. Surprised, he glanced at her, feeling the warmth radiate from her body, but she was smiling brightly at the camera. He felt his own lips curve up into a smile as he gazed at her, barely noticing when the camera clicked.

“Look over here!” Natsu commanded. He whipped his head towards her quickly, not wanting to get caught staring, and widened his grin as she clicked away. “Wait, let me take another one!”

“Natsu,” Hinata said warningly, but before she could move away, Oikawa leaned forward and took his phone back. Natsu pouted.

“Let’s take a selfie,” he suggested quickly, tapping at his phone to flip the camera.

“How many photos do you want?” she demanded half-heartedly but resigned herself to smile at the camera when he focused it on their faces. Oikawa took the opportunity to put his arm around the back of her chair, leaning in so close his cheek nearly brushed hers. “Ready?”

She smiled automatically as he snapped a few photos, and then Natsu begged to join in. Perching on her sister’s lap, they pulled more silly faces at the camera and tried out some of the filters on his phone before Hinata shoved her off. “Alright, that’s enough! I’m starving and the food is going to get cold,” she declared.

When it came for the time to pay, Oikawa hurried to pull his wallet out, smiling winsomely at the cashier as he offered his card. The cashier took it before Hinata could even react. “You can pay next time,” he suggested teasingly.

“Who said there’s going to be a next time?” she snapped, frowning.

Oikawa hesitated for a fraction of a second – she really did feel like she was indebted to him – but he also meant what he had said before. “I did,” he said happily, and smiled at her just to be obnoxious. The frown deepened into a scowl, but she didn’t dispute it.

“Let’s go,” she said pointedly to Natsu. “I still need to buy my things.”

“What are you looking for?” Oikawa asked casually.

“New volleyball shoes,” Natsu piped up when Hinata hesitated.

Hinata huffed, shooting her a scathing look. “Yeah, I need some new training gear,” she admitted.

“Ah, I know a shop that sells good shoes around here,” Oikawa offered. When she hesitated, he added, “Come on, I’m your senpai – I know all the best places.”

As he suspected, the offer was too good to pass up. Nothing but volleyball would win this girl over, he thought amusedly to himself. “Alright. Natsu, let me know if you’re getting bored, okay?”

“Okay,” Natsu chirped, and she and Oikawa shared a triumphant look.

Later, as Hinata was trying on shoes, he skimmed through the photos they had taken. They were all adorable, of course, but there was one that caught his eye. It was one of their selfies together, smiling faces pressed closely together like it was the most natural thing in the world, but it wasn’t just Hinata’s grin that he noticed – it was his own smile, so genuine that he could sense the joy behind it even from a simple photo. No one could blame him though; anyone who had met Hinata knew exactly how infectious her enthusiasm was. With a faint smile, Oikawa set the photo as his home screen, and messaged his parents to let them know he would be coming home late.

* * *

 **[Trashykawa]:** hey Iwa-chan, what do you call it when you have lunch with a girl and go shopping together after?

 **[Iwa-chan]:** sounds like a date to me. why are you asking me this lmao

**[Trashykawa]:** _1 image attached_

**[Iwa-chan]:** I take that back. It’s only a date if she knows it’s one too.

 **[Trashykawa]:** ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, thank you everyone for all the love and support you have shown for this fic! I especially love reading through the comments, they genuinely make my day! hope you are all able to stay safe and healthy ❤


	15. anger (Tsukishima)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thank you everyone for all your support! this chapter takes place during the training camp in season 4, so some of the dialogue I used came straight from the manga

To say that Tsukishima’s feelings towards his female teammate were complicated was definitely an understatement. It was a real mixed bag of emotions, ranging from irritation (from her never-ending enthusiasm) to admiration (for her skill and tenacity) to exasperation (towards her stubbornness), and maybe – just maybe – a touch of fondness beneath it all. But one emotion had been clear to him– the first time since their practice match against each other at the beginning of the year – as Hinata stood next to him, unable to hide her smile as if showing up to a training camp she most definitely had _not_ been invited to was the best idea she’d ever had – and it was anger.

Despite whatever softness he had in his heart for her, or perhaps because of it, Tsukishima had lost his temper. The fact that he had done so in front of the other first-years was truly a testament to how upset he was, but even in his anger, he had the foresight to bite his tongue before he could call her a dumbass. Despite Kageyama’s infamous irritability, the sting of his insults was lost against Hinata, for whom _boke_ had somehow become a term of endearment – and Tsukishima knew she wouldn’t take it seriously if he used it.

As it was, she had looked suitably cowed by his miniature tirade (and the prospect of talking to their own coaches) and Tsukishima had locked his emotions up, the scowl on his face fading back into his usual disinterested look. He’d done it so well that he didn’t even react to her bold announcement of her new position as ball girl. It was partly because he’d grown used to her, to the point where her loud enthusiasm now drew a quietly fond huff instead of the irritation from when they first met, but he was now so furious that he refused to even let his breath hitch at her words. It felt like Tsukishima was back at square one, with her reckless commitment to a simple sport drawing the worst out of him – Yamaguchi would have been disappointed with the petty vindication that filled him now, watching her struggle as a ball girl. Hinata was someone who belonged on the court, and she was just so easy to read – he knew exactly how much it was tearing her up inside to only watch others play.

Tsukishima allowed himself that spite but kept the rest of his feelings under check for the entire day until he saw Hinata practicing alone. “Give it up already,” he scoffed, familiar frustration and anger bubbling beneath his skin. With her back to him, he couldn’t see her expression but the way she froze, still crouched on the floor, said enough. “Hurry up and get ready to go home, will you?” he said coldly. “You heard, didn’t you? Unlike Mr “King of the Court”, we’re not getting the elite treatment. We haven’t gotten permission to miss classes. We’ve got school until tomorrow, just like always, so quit dawdling.”

“Tsukishima…” He didn’t miss the fact that she had, for once, forgone his usual nickname as she turned towards him, eyes downcast and mouth pinched together in an expression that screamed _guilty_. “I’m…I’m…I’m terribly sorry for causing–”

“Oh, please, save it for someone who cares,” Tsukishima said harshly, cutting her attempted apology off easily. “Your foolhardy, reckless antics are nothing new.”

And once he had started to speak, he couldn’t stop – the hurt in her eyes was a testament to the fact that she was actually listening to him and so all that anger and bitterness and frustration he had kept pent up inside spilled out carelessly, relentlessly. Hinata seemed to wilt, every word hitting her harder and harder as he spoke. That was one of the perks of growing closer to someone – you knew exactly how to hurt them.

“God damnit!” Hinata burst out, and then ran off.

Whatever satisfaction he’d gained from that tirade had faded by the next day. Tsukishima knew his words hadn’t been entirely wrong, that his anger had been somewhat justified, but it was the fact that he had lost his temper and been so intentionally hurtful to her that left a sour taste in his mouth. It only intensified when he saw how seriously Hinata began to take her duties, when Coach Washijou made a point to exclude her from staying overnight. Tsukishima understood his reasoning but it didn’t make him feel any better when he saw Hinata’s disappointment and the way she tried to hide it by loudly barking out her agreement. After all, he knew better than anyone else just exactly how far away she lived. But he also knew that wouldn’t stop her from doing extra practice, though he was surprised to hear that she had volunteered to continue her ball girl duties. As he heard the other boys mention her mishaps Tsukishima realised he had underestimated her. He had always thought she was too ambitious, too greedy to take the camp seriously if she wasn’t participating but in typical Hinata fashion, she had surprised him by committing herself to the job 100%. 

And not only that, but she was…changing. Learning. Growing. _Improving_ , simply by watching. It was a ridiculous concept but she was somehow able to translate what she saw into her own movements, teaching herself new tricks even without the guidance of the coaches and the experience of playing with new people. His past self would have been infuriated but now Tsukishima was only filled with a grudging respect, and what little resentment he held towards her was channelled into working harder. Knowing that her eyes were always on them, watching and analysing, made him more aware of his own movements and actions and responses – and he wasn’t the only one who felt the same. He knew the other boys had also been paying attention to how Hinata had changed, even within the past few days, and for some reason, it put a funny taste in his mouth – not the same guilt he’d felt previously, though that certainly hadn’t faded, but something a little more…bitter. 

So, with some difficulty as he watched her finish cleaning up the court, Tsukishima forced himself to speak. “Oi.”

“What’s up?” Hinata asked, her gaze cautious as she turned to look at him.

“I need you to go somewhere with me,” he ground out. “Please.”

The double-take she did was almost comical, except that her blatant surprise only reminded him of the last time they had spoken – although spoken was putting it nicely. “Can you not do a double take like that?” he said shortly.

“What…?” Hinata stared blankly at him.

“Blocking practice,” Tsukishima continued. “If it’s during free practice, it’s not out of line to do activities outside of the ball boy role, correct?”

He was nearly beginning to regret asking her as she gaped disbelievingly at him. “I’m not twisting your arm or anything,” Tsukishima muttered.

“Tsukki will be joining you guys!” she crowed suddenly, and he stiffened as all the other boys turned towards them. No, he definitely regretted it.

But it was nearly worth it, watching her approach for a spike – Hinata always looked so at home on the court, like she really belonged there – and besides, it was certainly good blocking practice. Having trained with the other boys for the past few days had given him a new respect for their skills, although he supposed they hadn’t been invited to the camp on height alone.

“Hey, Tsukishima,” Hinata said quietly, when there was a moment to breathe. “Were you maybe thinking that I wanted to get some spikes in…so that’s what you said that you needed to do blocking practice so that I’d have a chance to–”

“Not even close,” he said automatically, perhaps a little louder and hastier than intended. It was for the good of the team that he and Hinata improved on their skills with nationals approaching, and it was a waste of her talent _not_ to use her practice. And if he had felt a little bad for her, a little guilty for losing his temper that first day – well, no one would know. Besides, while she was doing an excellent job of teaching herself, it just seemed a shame that she couldn’t use the training camp to help hone her potential, not when there were so many opportunities to develop skills or gain experience by playing against other schools. Still, that didn’t necessarily mean he wanted to watch Koganegawa fawn over her, even if it was for the freak attack. “Pipe down,” he interrupted. “Why don’t you hit an open attack first?”

“On it!” Hinata agreed cheerfully, her face settling into that familiar determined grin as she began her run-up. “Here I come!”

* * *

After nearly an hour of extra practice, everyone was exhausted. Most of the boys were sprawled on the floor, panting in between slow sips of water, but Hinata was still running around, though not to play – she was collecting the stray balls, gathering towels to wipe down the court. Tsukishima summoned the energy to grab the balls closest to him before passing them to her.

“Thanks,” she said, dumping them into the cart. He made a small sound of acknowledgement, turning to leave, but she grabbed his arm. “Wait, Tsukki.”

Startled, he looked at her, too surprised to react as Hinata clutched at his arm like a lifeline, head bowed as she struggled to meet his eyes. “I…I really am sorry,” she said quietly. “I just…I didn’t want to be left behind, but it was stupid of me of me to just turn up like that. I didn’t stop to think about the consequences or how it might look for you. I’m sorry.” With visible effort, she looked up at him and met his gaze. It was one of the most serious expressions he’d seen her wear, her brow furrowed ever so slightly and mouth curved down in the picture of regret.

“It was stupid,” Tsukishima said finally. It was a mark of how much Hinata had grown in the past few days that she had clearly reflected on her actions and the consequences – and not just for herself. “But at least you know that now.”

It wasn’t forgiveness, but it was something. Hinata released her grip on his arm, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly as she gave him a small smile. The hope in her expression made his breath catch, and her smile grew bigger, with Hinata clearly pleased by his reaction. 

He cleared his throat. “I’ll walk you to the bus stop.”

The shocked look she gave him was the same as when he had asked her to help with practice, and still made him feel that flash of guilt, but she recovered quickly. “Wait, aren’t you staying overnight?” she demanded. “Are you going to miss dinner?”

Tsukishima hid his snort – of course she would be thinking about food. “No, dinner is in an hour,” he explained, turning away so he could collect his belongings.

Hinata kept pace with him easily as she grabbed her bag. “What kind of food do they serve at Shiratorizawa?” she asked as they left the gym. “Are you eating enough? I talked to Coach Ukai after the first day, and he told me it’s really important to eat a lot after training so our bodies can recover.” She continued on without even waiting for his response. “And I know Sugawara and Nishinoya always have to make sure you finish your food, but they’re not here! You better not be leaving any food behind,” she warned, staring at him accusingly.

He blinked at her. Her concern was somewhat misplaced – he had finished his meals every night except the first, though he had again noticed that he ate the least out of all the camp attendees. But he hadn’t realised she had taken notice of something as small as his eating habits, and it was strangely touching that she had not only remembered but had also worried about him. Tsukishima glanced away hastily, not daring to meet her narrowed gaze as his cheeks began to warm. “I didn’t,” he answered honestly and took a moment to adjust his glasses, hiding his blush with his hand. “Besides, if eating lots of food was all there was, surely you’d be taller.”

“Hey!” Hinata protested, outraged for all of a few seconds before she grinned at him. And as they walked to the bus stop with no one else around them, Tsukishima couldn’t help but smile back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know updates have been slowing down, and will probably stay slow - I wrote heaps of chapters when I first came up with the idea and I used them as a buffer between what I posted and what I was writing, but now I'm basically writing and posting simultaneously (give or take a few days because I have a very vigorous editing process haha). My obsession with Haikyuu is mellowing out a little as well, so the inspiration/motivation for writing isn't as strong but I am definitely still writing! Also the reason that I have been able to write so much is because I was unemployed and have a fairly privileged life, so I had a lot of free time. But I will be starting a new job soon so we'll see how that goes :)


	16. clean (Kageyama)

“Oi, Hinata.” There was a dangerous undertone to Kageyama’s voice, one that made her pause mid-chew and turn to face him ever-so-slowly.

“What’s up?” she tried to ask, but the words came out garbled around her mouthful of rice. His scowl turned to a look of disgust.

“You’re getting food everywhere,” he scoffed, eyeing the table disdainfully. “Close your mouth when you eat, dumbass.”

Hinata followed his gaze and cringed. She snapped her mouth closed, chewing furiously to swallow the food so she could reply. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. In her defence, she usually had better table manners but her excitement about being at the training camp had not combined well with her usual habits of inhaling her meals, resulting in a mess on the table in front of her.

In contrast, Kageyama was sitting serenely beside her, his area immaculate despite the fact that he was eating just as much as her, and just as fast. Hinata scowled, trying to discreetly clean up the scraps littered everywhere before she turned back to her food.

“You missed a spot.”

“What? Where?” she demanded, glancing down at the table.

“On your face, dumbass,” Kageyama said unhelpfully before he resumed eating.

Hinata swiped roughly around her mouth with a napkin. “Did I get it?”

“No,” he said flatly.

“Huh?” she whined, patting her face frantically.

Kageyama could only watch incredulously. “No,” he repeated. “You missed it again. Not there—no—just above—no—!”

With an exasperated growl, he grabbed her face, one hand on the top of her head and the other grasping her jaw firmly. Hinata flailed, trying to tug his hands away, but his grip was firm, holding her in place despite her protests. “What are you—”

“Hold still,” he ordered. Hinata squirmed in her seat, glaring even as she relaxed her grip around his wrists. The pressure on her crown and her chin was growing uncomfortable but she could break his hold if she really needed to. But she trusted Kageyama, knew he would never hurt her – her discomfort was more embarrassment than anything.

She froze as his face loomed over hers, hardly breathing as she stared up at him with wide eyes. With his face so close to hers, she could see all the little details of his appearance that she had never noticed before – and how could she, when they were both always in motion, always trying to move forwards and grow and improve, when even a moment of stillness was to be left behind – but this was different. With both of them suspended in time like this, Hinata could truly appreciate how unique his eyes were, that deep ocean-blue colour that she had never seen on anyone else; the way his dark lashes contrasted against his pale skin as he focused his gaze on her, so long and thick that she was nearly envious; the way his brows naturally angled down to give him that perpetually angry look; even just the shape of his face, the curve of his cheekbones beneath the last hint of baby fat, the tiny pores and imperfections of his skin. She had always known that Kageyama was…well, handsome; a classical beauty, like Shimizu. But where her looks and quiet demeanour lent her an air of mystery that drew people in, Kageyama’s features tended to settle into a scowl, making him appear cold and unapproachable. It was no wonder that Hinata was fidgeting under the weight of his gaze when he was peering at her so intently that his brow was furrowed into a dark scowl – not to mention the fact that he was, essentially, cradling her face (albeit with a little more force than necessary). It was an oddly intimate gesture, and almost reminded her of a parent trying to hold their wriggling child in place, but of course it was different, because it was _Kageyama_ and–

And then his thumb was skimming across the space above the corner of her lips, warm and gentle despite the roughness of his callouses. The light touch was such a contrast to the firm grip on her head that she nearly didn’t notice it, but she did see his brow relax, saw the way the corner of his lips curled up into a tiny, self-satisfied smile. It wasn’t quite as smug as some of the taunting looks he gave her in training – no, it was more of a _pleased_ look, the same kind of expression he made when he made a good play. It faded as he dropped his hands, shaking off her now-loose grip to turn back to his food quickly. “Dumbass,” he said gruffly, picking up his chopsticks again. 

Hinata stared blankly at him, the top of her head strangely cold now that he’d taken his hands away. She didn’t even realise she was lifting her hand to the same place he had touched until she felt her own fingertips on her face, and finally processed what happened. “H-Hey!” she spluttered, feeling her cheeks burn. To her relief, no one outside their table seemed to have noticed. Only Kenma, sitting on her other side, was looking at them curiously, his expression unreadable. “What was that?”

“There was something on your face,” Kageyama said defensively after a slight pause to chew his food. “You would have had it there all day.”

She bristled, not able to deny it. “That doesn’t mean you have to do it like that,” she said finally, rubbing her face accusingly.

“What, and leave you to look like a mess?” he snorted, though as Hinata glared at him she saw that his ears were bright red.

“You could have just pointed it out!” she retorted. “How would you like it if I did to you, huh?”

To her surprise, Kageyama flushed even more. “S-Shut up!” he hissed, turning pointedly back to his food to hide his face.

“Weirdo,” she said under her breath, shovelling rice into her mouth.

“Dumbass,” he grumbled, though there was no ire behind it – in fact, Hinata knew the use of the familiar insult meant whatever weirdness had just happened between them was forgotten, the memory of his thumb nearly brushing her lips fading, as they finished their breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic was an exercise in describing resting bitch face without using those words LOL in other news, I start my new job tomorrow which is both exciting and stressful haha but I think it'll be ok once I get used to everything. thank you to everyone for your kind words and also for the support you have shown for this fic!


	17. comfort (Oikawa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for 1000+kudos!!!!!

Oikawa liked his fangirls. It was encouraging – not to mention a good ego boost – when they sought him out, complimenting his looks and skills and giving him presents. He genuinely appreciated their support and tried to convey his gratitude by indulging their photo requests when he could. But they were fans, not friends, and that meant another mask to put on – that warm smile and charming-but-not-too-flirty demeanour because he wasn’t interested in dating but he didn’t want to discourage them either. It was hardly a far cry from his personality, but simply having to be a little more polite, a little more watchful of what he was saying or implying could be exhausting.

He could tell that today was going to be one of those times, as the girls’ whispering behind him grew louder and louder. After finishing up a long morning of studying at the library, he was waiting for Iwaizumi so they could grab lunch and then study together afterwards. It was making out to be a mentally draining day, and the last thing he wanted to do was smile and talk about how hard school was.

But that was exactly what he did as the girls approached, pretending to be surprised and tucking his phone away to hide the SOS text he had sent to Iwaizumi. There were three of them, second-years from another high school, and although initially shy, they soon began to gush over how they had seen him play and read all his magazine articles, how cool his serves were, how good his last game was. Oikawa thanked them sincerely, dredging up a smile and some inane comments about how he appreciated having such pretty girls to support him. All the while, he hoped that Iwaizumi would respond to his text so he could have an excuse to leave.

Unfortunately, his phone remained silent and the girls remained oblivious to his growing discomfort – in their defence, he was an expert in hiding it – as they continued talking, asking about school and oh, Oikawa-san, did you just finish studying? Wow, he was so studious, it must be hard to balance training and studying; he worked so hard, how did he do it?

_In silence_ , a part of him wanted to reply but as always, he mentally gritted his teeth and laughed it off, hoping it didn’t have too much of an edge to it. He would have given anything for Iwaizumi to arrive and throw a volleyball at his head, but the streets were nearly empty. With no other choice, Oikawa began, “I’m sorry, but I’m actually meeting–”

“Tooru-kun!”

He drank in the sight of Hinata’s bright hair like a lifeline as she waved at him. At the sound of her voice, the girls turned towards her instinctively, and they missed how Oikawa’s smile relaxed into something more genuine.

But all four of them were surprised to hear her next words. “I-I’m sorry I’m late,” Hinata continued, smiling just a little too brightly and moving stiffly as she brushed past the girls to stand beside him. “But Iwaizumi knows, he’s already waiting for us.”

She was lying straight through her teeth but it was still uncanny how close she was to the truth. But Oikawa was hardly about to pass up an opportunity like this, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m having lunch with my friends,” he finished, flashing an apologetic smile to the three girls to tide them over. “It was nice to talk to you all but I have to go now! I’ll see you at the next game, okay?”

“Y-Yes! We’ll be cheering you on,” one of them stammered out, and the other girls’ goodbyes echoed her sentiments. They were too busy processing Hinata’s appearance to respond to his final smile as he and Hinata walked past them.

“Shou-chan,” Oikawa said warmly, still aware that his fangirls were within earshot. “We’d better hurry if we want to meet Iwaizumi.”

“Yep!” Hinata agreed, nodding her head vigorously.

As Oikawa led her away from the library, the girls began to murmur to each other. “Is that his girlfriend?”

“She’s so cute.”

Hinata tensed beneath his arm but she said nothing, keeping pace easily as they walked. It wasn’t until the library was out of sight that Oikawa was able to relax, dropping his arm since she had seemed uncomfortable with their ruse, but as he turned to apologise, Hinata opened her mouth.

“I’m so sorry!” she blurted. “You looked really uncomfortable and I thought the best way to get them to leave you alone was to pretend to be your girlfriend, but I’m sorry if I crossed any lines.”

“No, no, it was perfect,” Oikawa reassured her, and meant it. “You saved me! I never thought I’d be the one to need rescuing,” he said teasingly. “But you did a great job, Shou-chan!” 

Hinata snorted. “You make a good damsel in distress,” she retorted, shooting him a grin. She was still standing close to him – instead of moving away as he’d expected, Hinata had simply shifted so they were standing face-to-face. Her smile faded as she peered up at him intently, her brow slightly furrowed. But it wasn’t in anger, Oikawa realised – it was concern. “Is everything okay?

The fact that she cared, always so earnest and honest, made his chest feel tight. It made him want to tell her _everything_. But the prospect of doing that was far more terrifying than any of his upcoming exams, so Oikawa settled for a smile instead. “Don’t worry about me,” he said cheerfully, but Hinata simply pinned him with another look. Although she looked just as worried as before, there was now a hint of uncertainty, as if she weren’t sure how hard to push him for an answer.

Oikawa wasn’t sure if he wanted her to push, so he said nothing and Hinata kept staring, searching his face for a sign. Then she exhaled quietly, almost a sigh. He was wondering what she had found before Hinata hugged him, her arms wrapping around his waist. The top of her head tucked neatly under his chin as she leaned into his chest, hands reaching up to press gently against his back. Her touch was so light, the embrace nearly fragile, and he realised that was the point – if he wasn’t comfortable, he could step back at any moment and she would accept that.

Of course, that was the last thing he was going to do.

But he extended the same courtesy to her, returning the hug slowly. But when she didn’t protest, he couldn’t resist pulling her in closer, letting one hand cradle the back of her head as he rested his head on top of hers. She fit perfectly in his arms, and despite their differences in size, it felt like he was the one melting into her. 

It was strange, how even a simple act like this could be so comforting – the warmth of her body against his, the steady pressure of her arms around him, even the scent of her shampoo as her hair brushed against his face. His throat felt swollen as he swallowed, unexpectedly emotional at Hinata’s simple offer of acceptance and comfort. It was rare, that he was able to just be himself – human, imperfect, _fragile_ – and he treasured those times with his friends and family but he hadn’t expected Hinata to be with him in one of these moments. So for that reason – and maybe more – he committed every detail about it, about _her_ , to memory.

“Thank you,” he whispered, turning his head slightly to press his lips to her crown.

Hinata said nothing, simply hugging him a little tighter. He wasn’t even sure she had felt it.

When Oikawa felt like he could speak normally, he forced himself to pull away a little, putting enough space between them that Hinata could look up at him comfortably. “It’s…been hard, lately,” he admitted. “And I’m just so tired.”

Slowly at first, then in a torrent as he grew used to speaking honestly, Oikawa told her about his struggles in balancing school and training, in having to play nice with strangers when all he wanted to do was be alone, in meeting everyone’s expectations – including his own. Hinata simply listened, nodding and making sympathetic noises, offering quiet comments to let him know she understood.

When he was finished, and had told her so, she smiled tentatively at him. “Thank you for sharing,” she said softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Oikawa said honestly, but he still hadn’t fully recovered. It would take him time, of course, but he knew there was something that would make improve his mood even more. With his hand still cupping the back of her head, he tilted her face down as he leaned in. “Is this okay?” he breathed, pausing before her.

Hinata looked up at him with wide eyes, but she nodded. So Oikawa closed the distance between them and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering for a fraction of a moment. His eyes fell shut, but he opened them as he withdrew, just in time to see Hinata blinking with surprise. She smiled shyly at him, cheeks flushing.

It was almost reflexive to smile back, until reality caught up and Oikawa had to duck his head, hiding the way his own cheeks warmed. “Thank you,” he said again, after clearing his throat. “For listening. For being such a good friend.”

“It’s okay,” Hinata said. “I’m glad I can help. If you need to vent or you need another hug, I’ll be here.”

Oikawa laughed. “Another hug, please?” he teased, only to nearly melt when she obliged, squeezing her arms around him. He took the opportunity to hold her close, pressing his nose into her hair and enjoying the way she felt in his arms.

“Oi, Trashykawa, I thought–” Iwaizumi cut himself off, raising an eyebrow as Oikawa and Hinata froze in their embrace. “Hi, Hinata.”

“Um, hi,” she squeaked, hurriedly stepping away from Oikawa, who didn’t have the grace to look embarrassed in front of his best friend.

“You’re finally here, Iwa-chan! Let’s eat lunch,” he said cheerfully, before turning to Hinata. “You should come too!”

“I don’t want to interrupt anything,” Hinata said, shooting Iwaizumi an uncertain look but he simply shrugged. 

“Nah, it’s fine,” he said.

“See? Let’s go, Shou-chan,” Oikawa sang.

She still looked unconvinced, and he was preparing to bring out some puppy dog eyes when a mischievous grin lit up her face. “Okay, but it’s my treat! Or I’m not coming,” she threatened, eyeing Oikawa with suspicion. 

“Huh??”

* * *

_Deleted scene:_

“Do you have a type, Shou-chan?”

The question made her blush even harder, though he had a feeling it was more general embarrassment than the fact that she had something to hide – much to his disappointment. “Um, I don’t really have one,” she said finally. “I’ve never really thought much about it before, but I guess they’d just have to like volleyball as much as I do. But I don’t even have time to keep up with my studies, let alone get a boyfriend.”

Oikawa huffed with amusement. He could understand where she was coming from, and his previous attempt to balance dating, volleyball and school hadn’t ended well. “I’m sure you would make time for someone if you really liked them,” he said casually.

“I guess,” she agreed doubtfully. “What about you, what’s your type? Any of the girls back at the library?”

“No, not really,” Oikawa said, smiling ruefully at her blatant attempt to shift the topic to him. “I don’t think I could date a fangirl.”

“Why not?”

“I feel like all those girls only know me as Oikawa Tooru, famous volleyball player,” he admitted. “But I want someone who knows me as Tooru.” It had been a serious answer, thoughts that he’d kept to himself and that had kept him a safe distance away from his admirers, and it had caught her off guard. “Besides, I’d prefer a cute girl who could play volleyball,” he added. “One who could beat me in a match.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the deleted scene is (unfortunately) not canon, since I decided it didn't fit in with this chapter/where I wanted the story to go but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!   
> thank you everyone for your patience! it's been a busy month with work but I'm starting to settle in, which means I can start to make time for writing again. these next few chapters will be special ones - I actually wrote them a long time ago, but was just waiting for the right time to post them.


	18. cafe (gen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maid café special (1/4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forever grateful for all the comments and kudos, thank you so much ❤

Hinata was not known for her baking skills, so in the weeks leading to the school’s cultural festival, she had tried to help her class in other ways – distributing flyers, finding scrap material to paint and decorate, and volunteering to help out on the day. With volleyball practice taking up most of her time, her classmates had assured her that whatever activity she was put down for on the day wouldn’t need any prior training. And considering that their class’s theme was a maid café – well, Hinata figured her role for the day couldn’t be too hard. But to her dismay, they had put her down as a waitress.

“It will be a short shift and I think the morning will be quieter,” Hirata Mamiko, the class representative, explained as she read Hinata’s frozen expression correctly. “That way you can finish up early and enjoy the rest of the day.”

“Ah, ok! It’s fine,” Hinata said quickly, not wanting to make a huge fuss.

“Don’t worry, you’ll look really cute,” Mamiko said reassuringly, this time misunderstanding her expression. “This is yours.” She handed over a large bag that had black and white fabric peeking out at the top.

Hinata managed a smile as she took the bag. “Thanks,” she sighed and left the classroom to get changed. She wasn’t a big fan of dressing up or costumes and she hadn’t been keen on the maid café theme in the first place, but her classmates had been so excited for their first high school cultural festival. And while she didn’t quite share their enthusiasm, Hinata was still curious to see how it would all play out. The classroom had been rearranged and redecorated to look like a proper café, and the desserts and treats some of her classmates had brought in looked _amazing_.

The possibility of getting to eat those treats tided Hinata over as she pulled the costume out of the bag. She didn’t know who had supplied these, but it smelled surprisingly clean as she pulled it over her head. It was a white apron over a short-sleeved black dress, with an abundance of frills at the hem and the straps on her shoulders. The costume was nearly a perfect fit – it sat neatly around her waist and still gave her enough space to breathe comfortably, but there was no chance of lifting her arms above her head. Not that she had been planning to do that, considering the skirt fell to mid-thigh but Hinata had worn shorter skirts, including her actual school uniform. And as she did with her school uniform, she was wearing a pair of bike shorts underneath. It wasn’t like that much skin was exposed, since the costume came with black over-the-knee socks.

She emerged from the bathroom stall cautiously, and nearly started when she saw a girl in the same costume already there, leaning over the countertop to peer at herself in the mirrors. “Oh, Hinata-chan,” Nakamura Risa said, turning over her shoulder to smile at her before she went back to adjusting the costume’s headband – just as white and frilly as the apron. “You look so cute!”

“Thanks, you too!” Hinata responded honestly, gathering up the courage to examine her appearance in the mirror. It wasn’t as bad as she had feared – in fact, she thought it was pretty cute – but it just wasn’t her style. Well, she could live with it for a few hours. “Naka-chan, can you help me put the headband on?”

“Sure! Do you want me to do your hair as well?”

When they returned to the classroom it was with headbands firmly affixed and with Hinata’s hair tied into pigtails, her natural curls contrasting sharply to the simple black and white of the costume, and with eyes made a little bigger, eyelashes made a little darker with the help of Nakamura’s makeup. Hinata had managed to convince her not to use blush, since she was certain her face would probably be red with embarrassment the whole time.

Mamiko was waiting for them in a matching costume along with three male costumes classmates wearing tuxedos. She launched into an explanation of how the café would run – the classroom was divided into sections for the waitstaff, with Mamiko herself greeting guests at the door and assigning them their seats. The selection of food and drinks provided were posted on large menus around the room, and a photobooth had been set up in one of the corners, with one of their classmates lurking nearby with a camera. Hinata’s job would be to take orders, bring food and clear the tables, which seemed simple enough.

“Make sure to be polite to the guests! They’re our valued customers today,” Mamiko instructed. “Now, the guests also need to be polite to _you_ so let me know if you have any issues. And just to make sure you have enough energy for today, you can sample the desserts!” She grinned and gestured to the display of food, though her gaze narrowed when she looked at Hinata. “But only one each,” she added hastily. 

Hinata still nearly lunged for the treats. “Thanks, Mami-chan!” she said brightly, picking up a cream puff. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

* * *

“M-Maid café?!” The overly-excited cries were, unfortunately, very familiar to Hinata and she turned to see the volleyball club second-years standing in the doorway. Tanaka and Nishinoya were clutching each other, tears nearly streaming from their eyes as they took in the decorations, the delicate snacks and, of course, her classmates in costume.

It was easy to see that Mamiko was _not_ impressed, despite the bright smile she wore. “Hello, and welcome to Class 1’s maid café!” she chirped, and the boys turned their lovestruck gazes to her. In return, her smile seemed to sharpen as she said, “Please treat our staff with respect, or we will not allow you inside!”

It took a moment for her message to sink in since she had delivered it so sweetly, but the dawning horror on both Tanaka and Nishinoya’s faces made it clear they understood. “Yes, ma’am,” Nishinoya blurted.

“We’re so sorry,” Tanaka added, his voice hushed.

“Please accept our apologies,” Ennoshita said, shoving them aside as he smiled ruefully. “We should know how to treat our _kohai_ better than that, right?”

The two troublemakers nodded dutifully. Mamiko scrutinised them carefully before her expression relaxed, appeased by their silence. “Thank you,” she said finally, before directing them to a table in Hinata’s section. Ennoshita nodded gratefully towards her as he began herding them all towards the table, Kinoshita and Narita following from a short distance, still embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

As they sat, Hinata hurried over. “Welcome to Class 1’s maid café!” she recited. “May I please take your order, sir?”

“Eh? Hinata?” Tanaka gaped, staring blatantly as he took in the maid costume.

“Wow, Shouyou! You look so cute!” Nishinoya said excitedly.

Hinata blushed slightly as she thanked them. It made her feel awkward to be complimented so much on her appearance and it reminded her of the first time she had met them – Tanaka, although taken aback by the idea of a girl in the volleyball club, had recovered quickly enough to help her and Kageyama with their match with the other first-years. Nishinoya, to her chagrin, had liked the idea of having a cute, female kohai a little too much but it hadn’t taken him long to take her seriously.

“Yeah, super cute!” Tanaka agreed, though his expression shifted into a little more menacing. “I hope no one’s been giving you any trouble.”

She hid a smile. Once they’d adjusted to having her as part of the club, her teammates had rapidly adopted a more protective stance, though they weren’t quite as aggressive as they were when they were around Shimizu, whose classical beauty attracted far more attention. “No, everyone’s been fine,” Hinata assured them. “Besides, Mamiko is _very_ good at scaring people off.”

Nishinoya, in the middle of baring his teeth to any boys nearby, hastily changed his expression to something more innocent as he recalled her warning. “T-That’s great,” he said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

“Calm down,” Ennoshita sighed. “Hinata can look after herself, and she has friends who can look out for her. You’ll just make a big fuss.”

“Don’t worry, I know I can always count on my senpai to help me out,” Hinata said cheerily. 

Tanaka preened. “That’s right! We’ll always protect our kohai,” he boasted. 

“Yeah! No one will bother you while we’re here,” Nishinoya added.

Behind them, Mamiko cleared her throat, the warm smile from her initial greeting now frozen in place. “And what if you’re bothering everyone else?”

* * *

Daichi rubbed his hand against his face wearily, the expression and motion very familiar to Hinata since she had seen it directed towards herself multiple times during training. “I hope they behaved after that.”

“They didn’t say a single word until they left,” Hinata recounted, grinning. Daichi returned her smile, while Asahi and Suga laughed.

“Ennoshita is good at keeping them in line,” Suga noted.

“He’s had a lot of practice,” Asahi said reasonably, and it was because he was right that they all laughed again. “Hinata, this is delicious. Did you make any of these?”

She flushed. “Ah, no, I’m not very good at baking,” she admitted. “That’s why I have to dress up today.”

“You look very nice,” Suga said cheerfully. “And you’ve been very a very helpful waitress too!

“Your class did a good job,” Daichi said warmly.

“Thank you,” Hinata said, smiling embarrassedly until another table waved her over. “Ah, I’ll be right back!”

The third-years watched her go. “Let’s get a photo with her,” Suga suggested. “To celebrate our last high school cultural festival with our favourite kohai.”

“I though we weren’t supposed to have favourites,” Daichi said dryly.

“We can take photos with the other first-years too,” Suga offered, nearly choking on the words as he pictured it – Tsukishima would smile in that politely sarcastic way of his, glaring scathingly at them all as he tried to excuse himself, and Kageyama–

Well, Kageyama might also need some convincing to take the photo, but the real struggle would be getting him to smile. Suga shuddered as he recalled his previous attempts. “At least Yamaguchi can behave,” he said finally, in the same tone that one would offer their condolences.

“Ennoshita is going to have a tough time as a captain next year,” was all Asahi could say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: I once wanted to write a chapter about Hinata wearing the girls' volleyball uniform and the aftermath of wearing shorter shorts until I realised that skirts for the normal school uniform are already...really short lol


	19. cafe (Tsukishima)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maid café special (2/4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two updates within a week? you can thank covid for that (isolating at home with minor symptoms while I wait for results). hope you enjoy!

“Hey, let’s check this out!” Yamaguchi pulled him over to the entrance of Class 1-1, where he could see the room had been set up like a café. A _maid_ café, Tsukishima realised, as he saw girls walking around in black and white costumes. “It’s Hinata!”

Her bright hair caught his eye almost immediately. Like the other girls, she was also wearing a maid costume – short-sleeved black dress, a frilly white apron tied over it and a matching headband – but he couldn’t stop looking. A small part of him acknowledged she did look slightly ridiculous in the costume, but it wasn’t just the oddity of Hinata wearing a dress. He’d seen her in their school uniform, but where the sweater usually hid her figure, this costume was designed to emphasise it, with her waist exaggerated by the flare of the skirt. The hem fell to mid-thigh, drawing his gaze to the stretch of bare skin between her skirt and her socks. He was certain that her training shorts revealed more of her legs, but there was something about this look that made his mouth go dry.

It was with an effort that he dragged his gaze to another girl in costume as she greeted them, directing them to a table. There were large signs around the classroom displaying the menu, and he focused his attention on those as he and Yamaguchi sat down, lest anyone notice he had been staring at Hinata.

“Welcome to Class 1’s maid café! May I please take your order, sir?”

Tsukishima had been so determined to _not_ look at her that he nearly jumped at the sound of her voice, his heart racing. Glancing up instinctively, the first thing he noticed was that she was taller than him – it was a novel sensation to have to look up to see her face. But now that she was so close, he couldn’t help but catalogue everything about her. His brain was usually so helpful on the court in analysing their opponents’ moves, but Tsukishima knew that it would only be causing a lot overthinking later.

Namely, about how _cute_ Hinata looked. 

Her brightly coloured hair was out of its usual ponytail, tied into two pigtails that settled neatly over her shoulders. It softened the angles of her face and made her look younger, though that wasn’t helped by her nervous smile. Her eyes looked bigger too, now framed by dark lashes from her makeup, though it only made it more obvious as her gaze flicked between them uncertainly. There was faint smudges under her eyes from her makeup, as if she had rubbed her eyes before, and now that she was standing so close he could see that the costume was cheaply made, the material rustling as she shifted her weight. Yet he was still struck speechless by how good she looked in it.

“Hey, Hinata!” Yamaguchi said cheerfully. The sound of his voice broke the spell and Tsukishima dropped his gaze hurriedly. “Can I please have two chocolate eclairs?”

“Of course,” she said brightly.

“I’ll get a slice of the castella,” Tsukishima said, blurting the first thing that came to mind. From her slight frown, he knew that she was expecting a snide remark but he kept his mouth shut, pressing his lips together in case he said anything incriminating.

“Okay, no worries!” she said after a brief pause, clearly puzzled by his silence. “I’ll bring those over in a moment.”

As soon as she left, Yamaguchi smirked at him. “Your ears are red, Tsukki.”

“Shut up,” he muttered. At least it wasn’t his face.

“She looks pretty cute in that costume, huh?”

Tsukishima glared. He wasn’t impressed by the leer Yamaguchi was giving him and was desperately trying to get his blush under control when she returned with their food. To his relief – and disappointment – she only had time to drop the snacks off before she left to help another guest.

The food was delicious but the portions small, so the two boys finished it quickly. “Hey, let’s get a picture with Hinata before we go!” Yamaguchi suggested, and dragged them both over to the photobooth where one of her classmates was holding a camera.

“Alright, get in close!” the photographer ordered. They crowded into the little booth with Hinata in the middle, both her hands thrown up in victory signs. Tsukishima stood at her right shoulder, hyperaware of how close they were standing and the brush of her skirt against his legs.

“Don’t forget to smile, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi quipped.

His words had the opposite effect as Tsukishima whipped his head towards his friend and _glared_. The camera went off, and the photographer peered at them. “Let’s take another one,” was all she said.

Hinata burst out laughing. “Come on, Tsukki,” she teased. “At least try and look like you want to be here.” He forced out the barest of smiles before the camera went off again.

“Let’s each get a picture with her,” Yamaguchi said suddenly, before he darted out of the booth. Both Hinata and Tsukishima gave him a look, though his was distinctly more murderous.

“Great idea,” the photographer chirped. “Move over a little, please!”

They shuffled towards the middle of the booth. Tsukishima had a brief moment of panic when he couldn’t figure out what to do with his hands before he shoved them into his pockets. “Stop making such a grumpy face,” Hinata quipped, glaring up at him. “You look like Kageyama.”

“Don’t insult me by comparing me to the King,” he retorted, but he felt himself relaxing into the familiar banter as he smirked down at her.

_Click!_

Tsukishima whipped his head towards the camera, where the photographer was giving him a thumbs up. “It looks good! Did you want one as well?” she asked Yamaguchi.

“Sure!”

Tsukishima hurriedly stepped out of the photobooth, watching as Yamaguchi and Hinata posed easily, both putting on cheesy grins for the camera.

“All done! Just put down your contact details and we’ll send the photos to you next week,” the photographer explained.

“Thank you!” Yamaguchi said. “And thanks, Hinata! We’ll see you later, you should come check out our class when you’re done!”

“I will,” she promised. “See you later!”

* * *

_Bonus - one week later:_

“Hey, Tsukki! They sent us the photos we took with Hinata from the cultural festival, do you want to see?”

“Hmm?” Only half-listening, Tsukishima peered over at Yamaguchi’s phone and felt his face erupt into flames. The first few pictures were the three of them together, Hinata grinning brightly even as she was nearly dwarfed by her teammates. Tsukishima had been scowling in the first picture and had only just managed a smile for the second, and it looked as terrible as he remembered it feeling.

The next photo was only him and Hinata. Neither of them was facing the camera but they were standing closer than he remembered. The photo caught every detail of her costume, from her black heels to her over-the-knee socks to the black dress and white apron to the headband, which didn’t even reach his shoulders. She’d nearly had to crane her neck to scowl up at him even as a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. And he was smirking, the fondness in his eyes unmistakable as he looked down at her.

Tsukishima flushed as he handed the phone back to Yamaguchi, refusing to meet his eyes. He was about to put his headphones on when Yamaguchi spoke. “I’ll send them to you.”

His phone buzzed almost immediately. Trying not to look too eager as he opened the message, he inspected the photo of him and Hinata again. It was a simple, candid shot but he couldn’t stop staring at how comfortable they looked with each other, standing so closely as if it was the most natural thing in the world – as if they were a couple, teasing each other familiarly. Tsukishima wasn’t sure if it was just a one-off trick of the camera or if that was how it really looked to other people, but his thumb hovered over the button that would change his lock screen.

His finger hit the screen in a decisive tap. Nothing was going to happen, he told himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hope. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me writing this chapter: how do I make Tsukki thirsty without being too creepy...


	20. cafe (Kageyama)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maid café special (3/4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you have all absolutely spoiled me with comments since I last posted, thank you so much ❤❤ also I have tested negative and am back to work, thank you for your well wishes!

“Let’s check out Class 1’s maid café!” Umeda Haruto, one of Kageyama’s classmates, nudged him and another boy excitedly.

“Oh, a maid café?” the other boy, Ito Minoru, repeated. “Kageyama, do you want to come?”

He made a small sound of agreement, only half-listening as he followed the other two boys to the other classroom.

“I wish our class did a maid café,” Haruto complained. “I bet Yuki-san would look super cute in a maid outfit.”

“Yeah, but we would have to dress up too,” Minoru retorted.

“Worth it,” Haruto sighed, just as they reached the classroom entrance. 

Kageyama remembered distantly that this was Hinata’s class, but his brain didn’t make the connection of _maid café_ and _Hinata_ until they walked into the room. He almost wouldn’t have recognised her if it hadn’t been for her hair – after all, he had never seen her in anything other than the school uniform or volleyball uniform, though he had to admit to himself that she pulled it off well. It was, for lack of any better terms, _cute_. 

Granted, all the girls wearing the costume looked nice – there was something attractive about the combination of the skirt and the over-the-knee socks, and the costume itself was a pretty, feminine style. But as always, his eye was drawn to Hinata. The costume lent her a dainty, girlish air, so different to the girl he knew that he couldn’t help but stare. Her hair had been let down from its usual high ponytail, tied into two pigtails over shoulders, and she even walked differently, trotting from table to table in her heels. But it was the expression on her face, sweet and welcoming as she smiled and charmed the customers with her usual brightness, that most unnerved Kageyama.

It was nothing like the wide grins that seemed permanently etched into her face during volleyball games. As he watched, she bowed politely and smiled prettily at a guest, eyes curving into half-moons. It was still a nice smile, he concluded, but it just didn’t seem real to him.

“Kageyama, if you keep scowling like that, you’ll scare away all the girls,” Haruto scolded, before he whistled softly. “Man, they’re all so cute!”

“Did someone catch your eye?” Minoru followed his line of sight to Hinata. “Oh, wow! She’s really pretty!”

Kageyama bristled slightly at his words, though he wasn’t sure why – after all, Minoru wasn’t entirely wrong. “She’s from the volleyball club,” he ground out.

“Is she the manager?” Haruto asked, taking notice of their conversation.

“No, she’s a middle blocker,” Kageyama said simply.

“A blocker?” he repeated, frowning in confusion. “But she looks so small and cute. Man, I never would have guessed she could play volleyball!”

His response made Kageyama scowl. He had heard people say similar things before – he’d even had similar thoughts himself at one point – but it frustrated him when people underestimated Hinata, especially now that he knew how _good_ she was. Even though part of their strategy was understanding and expecting that opposing teams would underestimate her and using that misconception against them, it was somehow worse to hear it off the court. At least when they played, Hinata could easily prove them wrong, but here at school his classmates couldn’t care less. There was no easy way to explain her role on the team and he already struggled to communicate with his teammates – how could he could even begin to describe her incredible speed or her insane jumping power; the fact that she had the sheer athletic ability to match his tosses and pull off such a ridiculous and powerful move, how it made her into the greatest decoy; how vital she was to the team? There were just some things you had to see in action, and Hinata was one of them – Kageyama knew nothing he said could convince his classmates, especially not when they were busy ogling her. 

He knew why. Hinata was cute, especially in her costume and with makeup drawing attention to her big eyes and her sweet smile, but it irked him that they only saw her as a pretty girl or someone to date. There was so much more to Hinata than just her looks – she was a talented volleyball player, a valued teammate, a fellow student. Besides, as pretty as this version of Hinata was, Kageyama couldn’t help but compare it to the Hinata he had seen a few days ago at practice. Her hair had been pulled up into her usual ponytail, the stray strands plastered to her face with sweat as she panted with exertion. But it was the unabashedly fierce grin on her face, the wildly triumphant look in her eyes as she met his gaze, reflecting his own exhilaration after performing their quick attack, that had struck him hardest.

Ad then she was standing in front of them, a welcoming smile pasted onto her face as his classmates gaped at her. “Welcome to Class 1’s maid café! May I please take your order, sir?”

“I-I’ll have the chocolate cake, please,” Minoru stuttered, unable to meet her gaze when she looked at him.

“Can I have the chocolate eclairs?” Haruto flashed a grin at her, despite the blush on his face. 

“Of course,” Hinata said cheerfully, before her voice dropped into her normal pitch. “Oh, Kageyama.”

“I’ll have the cream puffs, please,” he said simply.

“Oh, they’re really nice! Good choice,” she said approvingly. Kageyama had been watching her closely enough – knew her well enough – to see her expression change, her polite smile shifting to something more genuine as she looked at him. He felt his scowl relax a little as he met his gaze – smiling would never come as naturally to him as it did to her – but Hinata, reading the small change in his expression easily, simply smiled back at him. It was just a natural, friendly grin, one that he had been the recipient of many times before, but the sight still hit him like a volleyball to the head.

Kageyama dropped his gaze hurriedly. “Thanks,” he muttered, feeling his face start to burn as she told them that she would be back with their food soon.

As she left, his classmates elbowed each other obnoxiously. “Wow, she’s even prettier up close,” Minoru said with a wistful sigh.

“I didn’t realise you two were so close, Kageyama!” Haruto hissed. “Do you have her number? Can you give it to me?”

“No,” Kageyama said, a little too quickly as he fought down a surge of revulsion at the idea. “Ask her yourself,” he added shortly.

“Do you think she’d give it to me?” Haruto brightened at the prospect. “Hey, maybe I’ll ask her when she brings our food.”

“You should go for it!” Minoru urged.

Kageyama said nothing. He had a sinking feeling that Hinata, as sociable and friendly as she was, would give her number out easily. But even if Haruto was successful, Hinata was usually busy with practice and rarely checked her phone. There was a reason that most, if not all, members of the volleyball team were single – there was just no time to date with the amount of training that they did.

“Alright, I’ll do it!” Haruto agreed enthusiastically, but to Kageyama’s amusement, he lost his bravado as soon as Hinata returned, only managing a shy _thank you_ when she set his plate down in front of him. It was only when Minoru nudged him that he found his voice. “Um, excuse me, Hinata-san?”

“Yes?”

“You’re really pretty!” Haruto blurted, his words coming out in a rush. “Can I please have your number?”

The polite smile faded from Hinata’s face as she blinked at him, taken aback by his abrupt request. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you are,” she said blankly. “I don’t give my numbers to strangers.”

Kageyama almost felt bad when he saw Haruto’s crestfallen expression. Almost, because Hinata was starting to look more and more uncomfortable as he spoke. “Please! I’m Umeda Haruto, from Class 1-3!” he declared. “May I have your number?”

“I…” Hinata’s gaze darted to Kageyama’s for a brief second, but the alarm in her eyes was unmistakable.

“She said no, Umeda,” Kageyama said bluntly.

He could see that Haruto wasn’t entirely convinced, that he wanted to ask again, but before he could say anything else, another girl in costume came up behind Hinata. “Is everything alright?” She was smiling politely but her gaze narrowed quickly when she took in Hinata’s discomfort and Haruto’s pleading expression. “I’m sure it’s not an issue, but if anyone bothers our staff, they will be asked to leave.”

Haruto finally noticed Hinata’s unhappy expression and seemed to deflate, especially when pinned with the other girl’s glare. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“Thanks, Mami-chan,” Hinata said quietly, smiling at her.

The other girl softened, appeased by Haruto’s apology and Hinata’s smile. “Let me know if you need any help,” she said finally, before turning back to the table. “Enjoy your food!”

As she strode away, Hinata in tow, Haruto dropped his head onto the table. “I’m an idiot,” he groaned.

“Yes,” Kageyama agreed, trying not to feel too vindicated by his classmate’s suffering. 

Minoru patted his back comfortingly. “Maybe you should try to talk to her at school instead,” he suggested.

But Haruto didn’t seem too keen on the idea, continuing to mope as they ate their desserts. He was too embarrassed to even look at Hinata when she approached them afterwards, half-ducking behind Minoru – although _them_ was maybe the wrong term, since she’d come to ask Kageyama for a photo.

“I already took photos with the rest of the team,” she pleaded. “Even Tsukki!”

Kageyama was not surprised by this. Hinata had a special place on the team, and not because she was the only girl. Her bright and enthusiastic personality brought laughter and life to their club, and she had a natural charm that endeared her to almost everyone she met. All of this, in combination with how the costume exaggerated and amplified her cuteness meant that Hinata could have asked for the moon and the team would have at least _tried._ Even Tsukishima – or maybe Tsukishima especially – didn’t stand a chance against her simple request for a photo.

He agreed and followed Hinata to the photobooth, his classmates trailing behind them. Despite her ribbing, Kageyama couldn’t manage a smile for the camera, but his lips did curve up into the smallest of smirks when he noticed the envious looks his classmates were shooting him.

“That looks nicer than your actual smile,” Hinata observed. “I never realised you liked having your photo taken so much.”

“I don’t. You’re the one who asked me, dumbass,” he retorted.

She didn’t even react to the insult, simply giving him an unimpressed look. “You said yes,” she pointed out dryly. “But thanks for coming to visit.”

Kageyama made a small sound of acknowledgement. It had been his classmates’ idea, but he figured he would have tried to find her at some point during the day.

“See you on Monday!” Hinata grinned brightly at him, no doubt thrilled by the prospect of returning to practice. 

He nodded simply as they left. Once they were outside, and Hinata was out of earshot, Haruto heaved a dramatic sigh. “She’s so pretty when she smiles,” he said admiringly.

“Kageyama, you’re so cool! How do you stay so calm around her?” Minoru said incredulously.

“We’re on the same team,” he said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything. And to Kageyama, it did – they were friends, yes, but being teammates meant that they spent all their time together, which had inured him to the effects of her charm.

Well, most of the time, he corrected himself, as he remembered that easy smile she had given him in the café – softer, somehow, than her usual exuberant grins, but still just as bright as the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama: yeah maid costume is cute but you know what's cuter? a volleyball uniform


	21. cafe (Oikawa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maid café special (4/4)

“Why are we here.”

It was a Saturday afternoon and Iwaizumi was staring – maybe glaring – up at the large characters on the side of a building that labelled it as part of Karasuno High School. Big posters and bright signs were plastered on the walls, welcoming them to the cultural festival and inviting them to explore the stalls run by the different classes and clubs, and there were people streaming in and out of the school, all chattering and laughing excitedly.

He turned his gaze to Oikawa, who was inspecting the posters innocently, as if it had been by chance they had come here. In truth, Oikawa had begged last night for him to accompany him though he had refused to tell Iwaizumi exactly where he wanted to go. It was only with the ironclad promise between childhood friends that Oikawa would buy him lunch – and any snacks he wanted – for a whole week that Iwaizumi had been convinced to come.

“Just curious about what Karasuno has to offer for their cultural festival,” Oikawa said lightly. He smiled winsomely at Iwaizumi, daring him to question his false – and frankly terrible – excuse but Iwaizumi only scowled. He had his own suspicions, of course, but Oikawa would never confirm them. “Let’s go, Iwa-chan!”

Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi followed him into the school. It was smaller than Aoba Johsai but the stalls were just as brightly decorated, the students just as hardworking and enthusiastic about their festival. And to Iwaizumi’s relief, none of Oikawa’s fanclub could be seen. There was no way they could have predicted he would be here at another school’s cultural festival but he was still the recipient of a number of admiring glances as they walked through the school.

“I think they’re nearly finished,” Iwaizumi said, eyeing the emptying stalls and people packing up. “Where are you going?”

“You’ll see,” Oikawa answered airily as he continued to poke his head around the school. He breezed past the stalls and swept past the classrooms, letting his gaze linger on their occupants before he moved on.

“You know, the point of a cultural festival is to enjoy all of this,” Iwaizumi pointed out, gesturing to all the attractions they had walked by. “Where are we going?”

“I know,” Oikawa said agreeably, and nothing else. But he didn’t – or couldn’t – hide his interest when they entered what looked like the hallway for first-year classrooms, slowing to a dawdle and making the most of his height to peer into the classrooms. Iwaizumi kept pace, noting that there were hardly any members of the public inside, confirming his suspicions.

It was at the last room, belonging to Class 1-1, that Oikawa stopped. The decorations, menu signs and arrangement of the table and the chairs suggested they had hosted a café, but it was empty, with only students running around as they packed up. Some of them, Iwaizumi noted with amusement, were wearing costumes – black and white outfits, reminiscent of those found in a maid café.

And one of them had orange hair.

Oikawa saw her at the same time he did, freezing mid-step just as they passed the entrance. It was clear to Iwaizumi that this had been his aim the entire time, so he waited for Oikawa to smile and turn on the charm.

Instead, there was silence as Oikawa stared.

And stared.

And _stared_ , gazing at Hinata Shouyou in a maid costume as if she had hung the stars and the sun in the sky.

Iwaizumi could admit she did look adorable, despite how ridiculous the maid costume was – it was a soft, delicate look that hid the strong lines of her arms and legs and emphasised her small stature – but whatever effect her appearance had on him appeared to be magnified a hundredfold on Oikawa, who was still completely lost to the black and white costume and the girl wearing it. He was so stiff that Iwaizumi thought he’d only hurt himself if he tried to elbow Oikawa in the ribs, but that urge only grew stronger as Oikawa continued to gape, eyes wide and jaw dropped.

Before he could do anything, another girl in costume ran over, her nametag pronouncing her _Hirata Mamiko_. “Hi, welcome to Class 1’s maid café!” she said quickly. “I’m sorry, but we’re about to close.”

Iwaizumi waited a beat to see if Oikawa would snap out of it, but he didn’t even seem to have heard her. Fortunately, the girl took it in stride, giving Oikawa an appraising look before she said, “Hinata should be free, if you’re here to visit her.”

Without waiting for a reply – a wise decision, since Oikawa was incapable of speech for the moment – she called Hinata over. Her voice, loud and commanding, drew the attention of the other students and Iwaizumi was thankful that he had an excellent immunity to any kind of embarrassment, courtesy of being Oikawa’s best friend, as they all turned to stare.

Mamiko’s voice also had the added benefit of waking Oikawa from his daze. He snapped his mouth shut with an audible click as Hinata approached, her brows furrowed as she stared disbelievingly at them. Iwaizumi could hardly blame her – two third-years from another school, a _rival_ school at that, inexplicably showing up – but her expression soon softened into a shy smile.

“Hi, Tooru-kun, Iwaizumi-san,” she said hesitantly. 

“Shou-chan!” Oikawa all but cooed, smiling brightly at her.

Iwaizumi murmured his greeting, content to let Oikawa take over the conversation. The familiar nicknames they used didn’t surprise him in the least – if anything, it was just one of many pieces falling into place – but what did interest him was how _focused_ Oikawa was. He had smiled and nodded politely at admiring girls as they’d entered the school but as soon as he had seen Hinata, it was like nothing else in the world mattered – including any semblance of rational thought, to Iwaizumi’s amusement.

There was no planning ahead or multitasking from Oikawa – no, Hinata Shouyou had his full, undivided attention. He really was a sucker for cute girls, almost as much as he was a sucker for volleyball – and that also meant she was on the receiving end of his charm at full power. Oikawa couldn’t stop smiling at her, couldn’t stop complimenting her, couldn’t stop the blush spreading across his cheeks – neither could she – and he couldn’t stop himself from standing so close to her. It was nauseatingly sweet to see Iwaizumi’s best friend so smitten, especially when he saw how red Hinata was and how she kept stumbling over her words, despite the mundanity of their conversation. It was amusing to see her talk so excitedly about the café and what had happened; even more so to see how intently Oikawa was listening, as if Aoba Johsai hadn’t had their fair share.

But what made Iwaizumi snort was when the girl from earlier cleared her throat and both Oikawa and Hinata jumped, too absorbed in the conversation and each other to notice her. “Would you like to use the photobooth?” Mamiko asked. “I can take some photos for you, if you’d like.”

“Yes, that’s a great idea!” Oikawa exclaimed, glancing down at Hinata. “Then we can commemorate how cute you look today, Shou-chan! If you don’t mind, of course.”

Iwaizumi didn’t miss the irony as Oikawa flashed his most winning smile at her – after all, it was usually girls asking to take photos with him – but he thought it was fitting. Hinata was the first girl that Oikawa had liked in a long time, the first girl who shared his passion for volleyball, and more than that, she was the first girl whose friendship and relationship he was putting _effort_ into developing. With his natural charisma and charm, it was unprecedented for Oikawa to actually flirt, and to do it so sincerely.

Unfortunately for him, the girl he was flirting with needed something more than charm to win her over. But since Iwaizumi suspected that something more was probably volleyball-related, he figured Oikawa wasn’t doing too badly.

“No, it’s okay,” Hinata said cheerfully, and though she didn’t share Oikawa’s enthusiasm, she did laugh lightly. “I’ve already taken a lot of photos today.”

“Oh?” Oikawa said, the corners of his lips turning down into the beginnings of a pout. “Who did you take them with?”

“Just my team,” she answered easily, and although Oikawa did look more relieved, the pout remained – he probably wanted to be special in having a photo with Hinata – but he recovered quickly and tugged her over to the photobooth. Iwaizumi dawdled behind the, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watched them pose together. Hinata was taller than the average girl but Oikawa was older and also taller than the average boy, so the top of her head only just reached his chin. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders as they both grinned, throwing up matching victory signs. 

The camera clicked and whirred as Mamiko took their photos. “Did you want a photo as well?” she asked, turning to Iwaizumi.

He snorted and shook his head. “No, thank you. I don’t particularly enjoy being a third wheel,” he was about to say when Oikawa stepped forwards and snagged his arm.

“Don’t be a spoilsport, Iwa-chan,” he sang, yanking him over.

Iwaizumi glared, forced to take a few stumbling steps closer, which was enough for Oikawa to drop his arm but he was already standing right next to Hinata. “Just one photo,” he sighed, letting his expression soften into a smile for the camera.

Several photos later, along with many sincere expressions to thanks (to them, to the photographer, to Hinata), Iwaizumi and Oikawa were finally out the door. “Are you happy now?” he asked drily, eyeing Oikawa’s lovestruck grin.

Oikawa huffed, only slightly embarrassed. “Very,” he answered.

“Tooru-kun! Iwaizumi-san!” They both jumped slightly at the sound of Hinata’s voice, turning back to see her poke her head into the hallway. “Um, I just need to get changed so if you don’t mind waiting, we can leave together…?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Iwaizumi said, knowing that Oikawa wouldn’t hesitate to agree.

And Oikawa didn’t hesitate – in fact, he was a little too enthusiastic in responding, resulting in an incoherent splutter. “I-I-um, yes! That sounds great, Shou-chan!” he managed, nearly shouting in his haste to get the words out.

Iwaizumi stifled his laughter – Oikawa Tooru, with his reputation for flirting and his fanclub, was so flustered by a girl that he was nearly struck speechless. He briefly lamented the fact that Makki and Mattsun weren’t around to see it, and struggled to hide his smile while Hinata, only briefly taken aback, called, “I’ll be right back.”

When she was out of sight, Iwaizumi allowed himself a dark chuckle and a hearty pat to Oikawa’s back. “Smooth,” he said, smirking.

“Shut up, Iwa-chan.” 

But the joke was on Iwaizumi in the end. By the time that Hinata had walked them to their bus stop, she had already gotten his phone number – to Oikawa’s chagrin – and a promise that they would play together. And in return, he had learnt three things about her.

The first was that she was cute, and not just in appearance. There was something endearing about her natural exuberance, and although she was loud and excitable, her enthusiasm was always so earnest that it became infectious instead of annoying. He could see why everyone on her team doted on her and why no one, not even him, could say no to her.

The second thing was that she loved volleyball. That much he had guessed before, but she spoke so passionately, and sometimes incomprehensibly with all those sound effects, about her training and her matches, her teammates and her opponents that there was no mistaking how dedicated she was to the sport. It was clear that she worked very hard to be where she was now, and she had no plans on stopping.

The third and most important thing was that Oikawa Tooru was in love with her, and she didn’t have a clue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hinata: *exists*  
> Oikawa: 😍😍  
> Hinata: *wears maid costume*  
> Oikawa: 😍❤💕🤩💖👍😘✨🧡❣💞💓💗💖💘💝💟✨
> 
> fun fact: this chapter was originally written in Mamiko's POV, but as much as I enjoy writing outsider's perspectives on relationships, I felt that Iwaizumi had better insight into Oikawa's character and behaviour hehe  
> updates from here on will probably be a little slower, as this was the last chapter that I've pre-written completely. but there are definitely some in the works! thank you for your patience and support ❤


	22. scarf (Tsukishima)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a little while but hello and thank you to all the readers of this fic! your support means so much to me and it is so encouraging to see the kudos, comments and bookmarks. here's to the new anime season starting!

It was cold enough that the temperature in the gym began to drop as soon as practice had finished, the lingering sweat on their skin making them all shiver as they packed up. It felt like the scowl was frozen on Tsukishima’s face as he got dressed, zipping up his jackets and pulling on his gloves and trying to brace himself for the winds he could hear blowing outside. To his annoyance, he had forgotten his scarf this morning so despite the high collar of the school jacket, his neck would be vulnerable to the cold. He was briefly pondering whether his earmuffs would be an acceptable substitute when he heard Yamaguchi snickering behind him.

“What?” Tsukishima said flatly, turning to glare at him and, by default, the two idiots behind him. Yamaguchi was dressed warmly, though he seemed cheerily oblivious to the winter winds outside; Hinata and Kageyama were simply oblivious, wearing only their school jackets and scarves, though Hinata had her hoodie underneath as usual. Their lack of layers seemed to highlight Tsukishima’s enthusiasm for staying warm – gloved hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders hunched up to his ears as he tried to cover up as much exposed skin as he could.

He was nearly impressed by how impervious to the cold Hinata and Kageyama seemed, except for the fact that it seemed to be borne from sheer stubbornness, or stupidity – they were always moving and staying active from their incessant bickering and arguing. Even now, they barely noticed as Tsukishima – reluctantly – opened the gym doors, the icy wind biting into his face and neck. The two of them were still pushing and shoving each other, and it wasn’t until Hinata happened to turn to the door and saw Tsukishima and Yamaguchi waiting there that she remembered they weren’t alone.

Unlike Yamaguchi, she wasn’t cowed by Tsukishima’s murderous scowl. “Tsukki, why do you look so sad?” she asked, nearly snorting.

“It’s cold. I want to go home.” He shot her a glare almost as cold as the wind and turned sharply on his heels, marching down the steps. Hinata caught up to him easily, opening her mouth to tease him again but changed her mind as she caught sight of his pinched expression.

Tsukishima paused at the bottom of the steps, turning to look at her suspiciously. She stood a few steps above him, nearly putting them at eye level. “What?”

“Here,” Hinata said abruptly, and tugged her scarf off. Before he could react, she folded it in half and threw it haphazardly around his neck – he was so tall that she really did have to throw it, even when the steps gave her an extra boost – before threading the loose ends through the loop, pulling it tight against his throat.

It wasn’t until she had straightened – he hadn’t realised she had leaned in so close to him – and given him an almost smug smile that his brain caught up. “W-What?” Tsukishima spluttered.

“It’s warm, right?” Hinata asked, cocking her head.

He was reaching up to pull it off, the automatic refusal on the tip of his tongue, when he hesitated. It _was_ warm. The scarf held traces of Hinata’s body heat, the fabric soft against the more sensitive skin of his neck and it was thick. It covered his neck easily, nearly coming up to his chin, and insulated him against the cold very nicely indeed. And the longer Tsukishima kept the scarf on, the more reluctant he was to take it off – he didn’t want to expose himself to the frigid wind again. Hinata looked so pleased by her handiwork and – more importantly – so unaffected by the cold that he could only lower his hands.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, instinctively ducking his head to hide his embarrassment. But it had the opposite effect – with his face buried in the scarf, he was breathing in that familiar and faintly floral scent his body immediately recognised as _Hinata_ – with the flush on his cheeks spreading across his whole face. 

His voice was muffled by the scarf but Hinata heard him anyway, oblivious to his embarrassment, and grinned. “No problem,” she chirped, expression turning sly a moment before she reached out and patted his head. Tsukishima felt her hand land firmly amongst his curls for all of one second, barely covering the top of his head, before his body reacted and knocked her hand away before she could do it again – before he could even decide if he _wanted_ her to do it again.

Hinata laughed, having anticipated his reaction as she dropped her hand. “All you need is a beanie to complete your winter outfit,” she teased. “Let’s go!”

She jumped off the steps, brushing past him in the process. Kageyama and Yamaguchi followed her, with the latter shooting Tsukishima a smirk as he walked past. Knowing that his face was still bright red, Tsukishima could do nothing but glare as he followed, knowing that he didn’t need to worry about the cold anymore – not with how warm his face was.


	23. rain (Oikawa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for waiting so patiently ❤

Hinata’s legs were aching. The last thing she wanted to do was cycle up a steep hill, but here she was, doing exactly that. Instead of enjoying her lunch and having a restful afternoon, she was on her way to buy some groceries – oh, but she couldn’t just run to the local supermarket; Hinata had to buy specific ingredients from a specific store in a specific neighbourhood. The neighbourhood in question was a little more populated than their own, a little more upscale so the supermarket in question was larger and carried more produce. It was within a reasonable cycling distance, though Hinata’s legs were finding it far from reasonable. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the luxury of taking it easy – the sky was an ominous grey as she climbed off the bike, shaking her legs out with a wince before she rushed into the store.

To her relief, the items were easy to find. Hinata wandered around the store, consulting the hastily scrawled list as she ticked each ingredient off until only one was left. She stuck her head into each aisle, hoping for a miracle, and it was the last one that she peeked into that she found something.

Or rather, someone.

Oikawa Tooru was the last person Hinata was expecting to see but she couldn’t deny she was happy to see him, not when he told her exactly where she could find her missing ingredient.

“You are a lifesaver,” she remarked, following him eagerly as he led her to a smaller shop a few streets away.

“You do always seem to need my help whenever we meet,” Oikawa said, shrugging nonchalantly as he swung his umbrella. “And who am I to say no to a cute girl?”

Hinata scoffed, but any snappy reply she might have come up with was lost as they came to a large puddle blocking the path. Oikawa leapt over it, landing lightly on the other side before he turned to look at her. She was sure she could have done the same on any other day, but with her legs aching from training and a bag of groceries, she hesitated.

Oikawa cocked his head. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said confidently, more for herself than anything as she took a few steps backwards. Then, before she could second-guess herself, Hinata sprinted towards the puddle and launched herself across. Her feet touched down on dry ground only moments later – she had been right to give herself the extra boost – but as she landed, her bag swung wildly and the momentum tipped her backwards.

Before she could step into the puddle, Oikawa swiftly grabbed her waist and pulled her forwards so quickly that she fell – not quite on top of him, since he stayed standing, but _into_ him, her face making contact with his chest as his arms shifted to wrap around her. His body was reassuring solid against hers, carrying most of her weight so Hinata had no choice but to cling to him, her fingers curled into his shirt as her hands were crushed between their chests.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes!” she squeaked, feeling her face flush. It was bad enough that she had lost her balance so badly that Oikawa had to help her – _again_ – but now that she was so close to him, it was impossible to miss his scent or the warmth of his skin beneath his shirt or other little details she didn’t think she would ever know about him. And Hinata found that she liked that she now knew these things. She almost didn’t mind being in this position but the intimacy of it made her nervous – she couldn’t decide whether she wanted to stay in his arms, or to step away.

Oikawa made the decision for her, gently setting her down on her feet. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but it felt like his hands lingered at her waist as she steadied herself, almost as if he was just as reluctant as her to part. But she was so hyperaware of him that she couldn’t be certain she _wasn’t_ overthinking everything. It was with what felt like excruciating awkwardness that she released her grip from where she had been clutching at him, stepping away and checking her bag to hide how embarrassed she was, but he seemed oblivious to her inner turmoil.

“Thanks,” she mumbled. 

“No problem,” Oikawa said brightly, with more than a hint of a laugh beneath his words. She looked up to glare at him reflexively, but stopped when she saw him smile, warm and amused, at her. It was a very nice smile, Hinata noted – and had, in fact, noticed it several times before. What had struck her on those previous occasions was how it contrasted to the false, overly cheerful smiles he showed to his fans or when on court.

Now, she could only remember that he had fans, that he was famous not only for his skills as a setter, or his service aces, but also his charm and good looks. It was clear to Hinata that she was far from the first person to have noticed what a nice smile he had – even his fake ones were nice – but in moments like this, she felt like she was the first person to see his genuine smile. It was a ridiculous thought. Oikawa’s friends and teammates and classmates had surely seen him smile like this before, but Hinata couldn’t help the way her cheeks warmed under his fond gaze.

“Shou-chan?”

Hinata nearly jumped, and in doing so, realised she was still standing very closely to him. She took a step backwards under the guise of heading to the supermarket. “Let’s go!” she said hastily.

To her relief, any awkwardness from her blatant staring was soon forgotten as they headed inside, and Hinata herself nearly forgot about it in her eagerness to finish her spontaneous grocery trip – nearly, but not quite, since she now felt self-conscious every time she glanced at his face. It made her so uneasy that it genuinely caught her by surprise when she looked out the windows after having paid for her last item.

“It’s pouring,” Hinata said slowly, staring dumbly at the torrent of rain outside. She thought despairingly of how long it had taken her to get to the supermarkets and then of her bike, still parked at the first store she had tried. Her thoughts must have been obvious on her face, because Oikawa simply held out his umbrella.

“We’ll share.”

He was so serious that Hinata couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be counting on you,” she said teasingly.

His lips twitched up in a little smile before he reached out, taking hold of her hand and pulling her close, just as he had done before. But this time it was slow and careful, giving her all the time she didn’t need to pull away until they were standing side-by-side, shoulders pressed together until Oikawa wrapped his arm around her.

It was a simple act, but comforting, and Hinata soaked up the warmth from his body. She was glad she did as they stepped outside and the wind blew towards them almost instantly. Oikawa opened the umbrella hastily as rain was flung in their faces.

He leaned down, bringing his mouth to her ear so she could hear him. “Ready?”

Let’s go!” she shouted, grinning even as she blinked the water out of her eyes.

He laughed and led her into the storm. The rain was relentless, made unpredictable by frequent blasts of wind, but Oikawa seemed to know exactly where he was going, using his arm around her shoulders to guide her. Hinata tried keep up with his long strides, doing her best to ignore the rain as it seeped through her clothes and made her shoes squelch with every step. But it was hard to concentrate with how hard she was laughing. She was sure they made for a ridiculous picture – Oikawa, a good head taller than her, and her, half-running and half-pulled along by him as they both tried to stay underneath the one umbrella – and she couldn’t stop laughing.

By the time they reached her bike, both their shorts and shoes were completely drenched since the umbrella, shared between two, could really only protect their heads and shoulders from the rain and the sight made Hinata’s sides ache with laughter. Oikawa gave her a perplexed look.

“It– It’s not you,” Hinata said between giggles, although the way he was nearly pouting at her _was_ making her smile. When she finally calmed herself down, she carefully transferred the groceries – miraculously dry from where they have been tucked under her arms the whole trip – into the basket of her bicycle. “Thanks, Tooru-kun.”

“Anytime, Shou-chan.” Oikawa gave her such a fond smile that she had to drop her gaze, but when she looked up again, his expression had grown decidedly more mischievous. “Have a safe trip home!”

Before she could say anything, he pressed the umbrella into her hands. Hinata watched dumbly as he ran off, pulling his jacket over his head to protect him from the worst of the rain. It took her a few moments to realise she had instinctively taken a few steps after him, leaving her precious groceries uncovered. She swore and hurried back to protect them, and by the time she looked back, he was long gone. With an exasperated sigh, she began the long journey back but even with the rain pouring overhead, Hinata couldn’t stop herself from smiling the whole way home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the late chapter - life has been a little hectic with work, so it's hard to write and hard to write a chapter that I felt happy with, but I hope you enjoyed! updates will continue to be slow but this story will not be abandoned!  
> hope you're all able to stay safe and healthy and enjoy the upcoming holidays ❤


	24. catch (Kageyama)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> consider this an early christmas present 🎄

The first time it had happened, Hinata had nearly wrapped her arms around Kageyama in the time it took for him to realise what she was doing. He had shoved her away almost immediately, face reddening even though his cheeks were already flushed with exertion from the game. She had laughed at the look on his face and at his mumbled excuse – something about her being too sweaty – but she had already guessed something like this would happen, and she was too excited to care.

It definitely didn’t stop her from trying again. And again. And as they grew closer, Kageyama quickly learned to expect the way that she would throw herself at him, as if she were brimming with excitement and the best way to share that with him was through forced hugs. He grew better at anticipating when Hinata would launch herself at him – sometimes her victorious moments could be celebrated with a yell instead of a hug – but that didn’t mean he was any better at responding. Nine times out of ten, he used his rapidly developing powers of prediction and quick reflexes to step out of her path, shooting her unimpressed looks as she wobbled past him, trying to catch herself before she ran into someone else. He wasn’t the only recipient of her unusual expressions of affection but he was one of her favourites since Hinata derived a great deal of joy from their freak quick attack. 

The other one time out of ten, when Kageyama was in a good mood, when he was on the same wavelength as Hinata, he would allow her arms to close around him for all of half a second – the briefest flash of warmth and laughter and victory – before he shrugged out of her embrace. He simply wasn’t used to this sort of physical affection, let alone the exuberance behind it that Hinata seemed to have in infinite amounts. And though he had never dwelled on the fact that Hinata was a girl, he was still a teenaged boy who was far from immune to the close proximity of the other sex, and his awareness of that fact always came hand-in-hand with discomfort. But those thoughts flashed through his mind as quickly as the possibilities in a match and it held as much weight as the fact that she was uncomfortably warm and sweaty – it would have been instinctive for anyone to shy away from the force with which she approached him. But if he allowed her arms to linger around him for a fraction of a second longer each time – well, no one had noticed.

Until one day, it happened.

The ball slammed down in their opponent’s court, signalling the end of the rally – the end of the set, the end of the game – in their favour. There was a split second of near silence, where the smack of the ball against the ground seemed to echo in the stadium, and then everyone exploded into a deafening cheer.

Hinata didn’t think. She didn’t even look before she turned and jumped, hands reaching towards Kageyama. And for the first time he was ready, his body angled towards her and his arms outstretched to catch her as her feet left the ground. Her hands brushed his shoulders a split second before their bodies collided, and the impact was so hard it nearly knocked what little breath she had out of her but Kageyama was solid beneath her, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. It took her a few moments to realise they were moving, that he’d had to take several steps back to absorb the momentum from her jump but then he was turning, swinging her around so fast that her legs flew out behind her.

And Hinata was laughing, laughing so loudly that she nearly missed the way that Kageyama was grinning at her, his deep blue eyes creased into half-moons. He’d never been one to share in her raucous laughter but this expression – this _smile_ – spoke volumes, and Hinata didn’t know if it was the adrenaline or the way that Kageyama was spinning her around but she was growing dizzy and the only thing she could do was tighten her hold around his neck.

It felt like an eternity later, but it must have only been moments as Kageyama slowed and gravity began to weigh her down again. Hinata clung to him as her feet came to rest gently on the floor, letting her body adjust to solid ground, but before she could even think about loosening her grip, something heavy slammed into her. She gasped as the impact actually knocked the air from her lungs, falling into Kageyama again. He stumbled backwards, one arm tightening around her waist while the other stretched out behind him to break his fall but the weight of two bodies was too much and then they were all on the ground because it was Yachi who had jumped onto her and then Yamaguchi was there and he was dragging Tsukishima down and then the rest of the team was joining their impromptu huddle on the floor – a tangle of bodies and laughter and tears.

The coaches waded in eventually, pulling the others to their feet and dusting them off even as they wiped tears from their own eyes. Hinata’s giggles had long faded away but she could still feel the echo of them as she caught her breath, propping herself up from where she was still sprawled across Kageyama. She could still see traces of the smile he’d worn earlier but his expression was closer to his usual scowl now that the adrenaline was wearing off and he was aware that all eyes were on them.

But Hinata couldn’t care less, not with her blood was still singing in her veins, her heart still pounding in her chest. She was still holding onto Kageyama like her life depended on it, and she didn’t want to let go of him, of any of those feelings, and she could tell he felt the same by the way his gaze lingered on her even as he shifted his body, and it calmed her nerves immensely, even if she knew this moment couldn’t last forever.

On impulse, she moved even closer to him and pressed her forehead against his, letting her eyes fall shut. The simple, intimate contact reassured her that it was _real_ , that Kageyama was here, sharing in their team’s glory and success. With a smile, Hinata opened her eyes and began to pull away but then he reached up, cupping the back of her head so he could press their foreheads together again.

_We did it,_ was what Hinata wanted to say, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to whisper it into his ear or to scream it from the rooftops. _We did it together._ All their hard work – the endless training sessions, the uncountable practice matches, the innumerable losses and the scatterings of wins – had led to this victory, and it couldn’t be any sweeter. There was no need to say the words out loud – not when his skin was warm against hers and his breath was against her lips – Hinata knew, with the same certainty that she could trust in his tosses, that he was thinking the same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact I had a burst of inspiration a while ago and wrote nearly all of this in one go, and only recently had the time to edit it but I'm very happy with how it turned out! as always, thank you all for your support and I hope that you can enjoy your holidays safely ❤


	25. chocolate (Tsukishima)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year!

“Tsukki?”

Tsukishima hastily tugged his training shirt over his head just as Hinata poked her head into the clubroom, her grin widening as she caught sight of him.

“Good, you’re here!” she chirped, pushing the door open. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow as she slunk into the room, taking care to face him the entire time as she kept her arms tucked behind her back, not-so-subtly hiding something from his view. She was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, which Tsukishima would normally have dismissed as part of her usual abundance of energy, but she was behaving so strangely that it seemed more like a nervous tic. He narrowed his gaze at her, wondering if her short attention span would give out before he had to question her, but as she fidgeted, his gaze slid to the calendar on the wall.

Tsukishima froze. There was one date, decorated in scribbled red hearts that he guessed were probably from Tanaka, that caught his eye immediately – February 14th.

Valentine’s Day.

He had seen some of his classmates present chocolates to each other, most of them the obligatory store-bought gifts, but one or two of the boys had received special homemade chocolates. One of them had been accompanied by a confession, which had ended in happily – or so he had heard. Tsukishima had never been one to pay much attention to his classmates’ affairs; he’d never even entertained the thought of crushes or dating or romance. Not until recently, that is.

As if reading his mind, Hinata looked him straight in the eye and beamed, just a little too brightly. “I have something for you!”

Tsukishima’s mouth had suddenly gone dry. He had to swallow hastily before he could answer. “Oh?”

Her smile faded into a slight frown. “Don’t laugh,” Hinata said sternly, but it lacked the frustrated bite of her usual retorts when faced with his sarcasm. She pulled a box from behind her back and held it out to him roughly, her chin lifted defiantly as if expecting him to say something disparaging. “This is for you.”

Tsukishima was speechless. It felt like a dream, watching himself reach for the gift in slow motion but he couldn’t make himself go any faster. A part of him was expecting Hinata to whip it away and say it was a joke, but she released her hold easily. It was a small box but neatly wrapped in colourful paper, complete with a ribbon bow on top.

“I...”

“You can open it,” Hinata said softly, as if sensing his unease. He tried to ignore her steady gaze as he carefully unwrapped the present. Inside the box were four round chocolates, nestled snugly inside red wrappers and decorated with sprinkles or streaks of white chocolate. And to his delight, there were two chocolate-coated strawberries. He had to admit that it was, in fact, cute – a word that he’d rarely associated with Hinata, but found that he was starting to do so more recently.

“Did you…” Tsukishima had to clear his throat before he could continue. “Did you make these yourself?”

She nodded. Even that simple acknowledgement had his heart thundering in his ears. Hinata had made him chocolates.

Hinata hade made him chocolates for _Valentine’s Day._

Hinata had made him _homemade_ chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

 _Hinata Shouyou_ _had made him homemade chocolates for Valentine’s Day._

“...but I think they turned out okay!” she finished brightly, and Tsukishima realised he’d been so overwhelmed by the thought – _HinataShouyouhadmadehimhomemadechocolatesforValentine’sDay_ – that he had missed everything she had just said. “And I know you like strawberry shortcake, so I put in some strawberries as well.”

“Thanks,” he said dumbly, genuinely touched by her thoughtfulness. “They look…really good.”

“Really?” Hinata beamed at him. “I’m glad you like them!”

It was too much for Tsukishima. He was still struggling to accept the fact that Hinata had not only given him chocolates – on _Valentine’s Day_ – but that she had taken such care with it and when combined with her smile – which was already dangerous for his heart on any other day – his head was spinning so much that he nearly felt dizzy.

Hinata had yet to acknowledge the implications behind her gift but there was no way she didn’t know what they were – surely she couldn’t be that oblivious. But Tsukishima didn’t want to be the one to broach the topic, because what if he was wrong? But he couldn’t stand not knowing either, not when his mind couldn’t help but compile the evidence leaning towards a confession.

He and Hinata, alone in the clubroom. Hinata, unusually nervous. And of course, the big one: Hinata, taking precious time away from volleyball training to make and decorate chocolates and strawberries.

For _him_.

The picture his mind was painting was almost too good to be true. Maybe it was wishful thinking on his part or maybe, a treacherous part of him whispered, it was real. There was only one way to find out.

Tsukishima swallowed thickly. It had only been a few moments of silence but it had felt like an eternity of agonising uncertainty, so long that he felt compelled to speak. “Hinata…what did you–”

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi burst through the door excitedly, waving something in his hand excitedly. “Did you get chocolates too?”

Tsukishima was so annoyed at his interruption that he didn’t quite register what his friend had said, instead focusing his frustrations into an acidic glare. Then he caught a closer glimpse at what Yamaguchi was holding. It was a small gift box, neatly wrapped in colourful paper, complete with a ribbon bow on top – and it was identical to his.

The wave of anger he had been fighting down collapsed abruptly. Tsukishima stared blankly at them both as Hinata answered. “Yeah, I just gave them to him!”

“They’re delicious! You and Yachi did a great job,” Yamaguchi said enthusiastically.

Tsukishima’s heart dropped to the floor but his head stopped spinning, as if the universe had reordered itself. Hinata _and_ Yachi. Two of them, making chocolates for what was probably the whole volleyball team which, in hindsight, made so much more sense than Hinata just making chocolates for him. A small part of him was crushed by the thought, but Tsukishima couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He liked being able to trust in his intuition, to feel the rush of satisfaction when his predictions came true, both on and off the court but there was something about Hinata that seemed to throw his calculations off.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. For the most part, Hinata was fairly predictable, consistent in her inconsistencies – it was only when his feelings became involved that his brain became incapable of rational thought.

“Have you tried one yet, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked.

To Tsukishima’s relief, neither of them had noticed his inner turmoil or the fact that he had thought that Hinata was going to confess to him. If he hadn’t been so mortified by it, he would have thanked Yamaguchi for entering when he did – what he had thought was a rude interruption had, in fact, been a mercy.

He pushed his glasses up his nose to distract himself, quashing any lingering feelings of disappointment. “No, you barged in before I had the chance,” he said dryly. 

“Try it, try it!” Hinata said excitedly. Tsukishima ignored the way his heart fluttered, hurriedly bringing his attention to the chocolates.

Under her eager gaze, he picked up one of the chocolates and popped it into his mouth. As Yamaguchi had said, it was delicious – rich and sweet and smooth. No one had ever given him homemade chocolates before but Tsukishima thought it was one of the best desserts he had ever had.

“Not bad,” was all he said to Hinata, but she beamed at him, taking it for the compliment he meant it to be.

“You should try the strawberries next! I told Yachi we should include them for you,” she said proudly. Tsukishima softened at her words. The lack of romantic intention didn’t mean she – or Yachi – had put in any less care into making them. He still appreciated the sentiment... even if it wasn’t quite the one he was hoping for. 


End file.
